The Merced City Council rejected a request last week to add a Black Lives Matter mural to the downtown area. The vote was 5-2, with only Anthony Martinez and Jill McLeod voting in favor of the display.
The project would not have incurred any cost for the city. The permit application was filed by the United Way. However, the Council’s majority said the 400-foot street mural would generate too much controversy.
Mayor Mike Murphy said the city received a large volume of calls and emails opposed to the project. Councilmember Fernando Echevarria said he received more negative feedback than he has ever received before.
Other cities have embraced Black Lives Matter murals in the wake of the national reckoning on systemic racism. They too have attracted opposition. A man and woman were arrested last month for defacing a BLM street mural in Martinez. They’ve been charged with a hate crime. The mural was quickly restored but tensions around it continued. A man was later arrested for pulling a gun on people who were trying to protect it.