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Crime

23rd Apr 2021

A George Floyd mural in Houston has been defaced with racial epiphets

Danny Jones

A mural for George Floyd was vandalised in Houston last night

A mural in memory of George Floyd, located in Houston, Texas, has been defaced, as reported by CNN. According to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner, the vandalism was carried out overnight.

Finner stated that he didn’t “know what their motivation is, hate, or whatever”.

The crime was initially reported by KTRK – a local news station within the city – as it was revealed that the memorial had been defaced with a racial epithet. The slur was ultimately covered up and the painting restored by the artist who created it. Houston was Floyd’s hometown.

This is not the first time this has happened: back in February, a George Floyd mural designed by Manchester artist, Akse, was also defaced for the second time in the city’s Northern Quarter. Floyd has become a symbol for the Black Lives Matter movement and racial inequality throughout the world.

Derek Chauvin – the former Minneapolis police officer who killed Floyd last year – was found guilty Tuesday of all three charges against him including second-degree and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Finner went on to say this about the city: “One thing I want to say about Houston, Texas. We stick together. My friends, some of the people and things that I’ve been talking about over the last couple of weeks, us sticking together, and when you see something, you say something. We got the call and HPD are here.”<

He concluded by saying: “I want everybody to understand, ignore people with bad hearts and bad motivation, do not give them the power” before assuring that those responsible will be held accountable.