Activists, community members and officials gathered at the sites of two Orlando murals hours after the sites were vandalized.
The murals, at The Center and Zebra Youth, were defaced with anti-LGBTQ+ language Friday, according to a social media post from The Center. Messages like “Gay is not OK,” and “Save kids’ eyes from trans lies,” as well as swastikas and Iron Crosses covered the murals. A sign was also stuck to the wall reading “Knights of the Black Sun,” a known white nationalist and neo-Nazi group.
According to a post from State Rep. Anna Eskamani, Kim Murphy, the artist who created the murals, was joined by Zebra Youth staff, City Commissioner Patty Sheehan and other community members to paint over the messages. The job was done in less than 24 hours after the murals were found vandalized.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer released the following response on social media.
“Hate has no place in our city. Zebra Youth and The Center are important parts of our community, providing services to LGBTQ+ residents. Here in Orlando, we will continue to support these organizations and continue our work to create an inclusive city,” Dyer wrote.
Orlando Police has said they are actively investigating the incident. Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to call OPD at 9-1-1 or contact @CrimelineFL anonymously at 1-800-423-TIPS.
This is a developing story.
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