George Floyd’s mural in “Graffiti Alley” has a black band over his mouth saying “I can’t breathe”
Toronto:
Dozens of street artists painted parts of Toronto’s “Graffiti Alley” in shades of black and gray in a message of solidarity with anti-racist protesters following the death of George Floyd, detained by American police.
The new sober murals contrast with the original, brightly colored paintings of this place popular with tourists on the south side of Canada’s largest city.
Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr, a raised fist – the work represents heroes and symbols of the African-American community, as well as victims of police brutality.
A portrait of Floyd, 46, is one of them. The African American died in police custody after a white officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes in Minneapolis on May 25.
His death sparked two weeks of protests in cities across the United States and around the world.
Floyd’s likeness in “Graffiti Alley” wears a black band over his mouth reading “I can’t breathe” – his last words as he begged the officers before he lost consciousness.
“But we can hear you,” added the artist around Floyd’s face.
“Powerful and beautiful”
The project aims to raise awareness of the anti-racism movement and show artists their support, one of the organizers, Moises Frank, told AFP.
“I think using art as a tool to fight oppression is a really powerful and beautiful way to protest,” said the 25-year-old.
“People are starting to realize that (racism) is a problem we will no longer hesitate to talk about,” he said.
“I hope this is just the start of the conversation.”
A mural depicts a panther with yellow and orange eyes, a tribute to the activism of the Black Panthers.
Another shows a raised fist with the legend “Always fighting 4 black lives”.
Frank chose to paint Zianna Oliphant, a nine-year-old girl who gave a heartbreaking speech to Charlotte City Council in North Carolina in 2016, in response to the police murder of a 43-year-old black man.
“There is a video of her circulating (in which) she breaks down in front of the camera about the things she experiences and sees in her community and the injustice,” said Frank.
“I thought it was a really brave little girl who opposed it,” he said.
“I hope that in her life she can see changes happen.”
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
