CINCINNATI, Ohio — Cincinnati Police are looking for the suspect who defaced the Black Lives Matter mural painted in front of Cincinnati City Hall.
The city commissioned the mural, reading “Black Lives Matter,” amid the city protests and nationwide unrest following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
Police said locals reported the mural had red paint smeared over some of the letters Tuesday evening. Activists tried to clean it off but the damage remained into Wednesday.
The following morning, others stopped by to see the damage themselves, including Rukiye Abdul-Mutakallim, the founder of the Musketeer Association.
She said the damage was disheartening, but not as disheartening as the hatred she believes lead up to it.
“I prayed on it,” she said. “I prayed in my heart.”
Despite the symbolic visual, Abdul-Mutakallim said she doesn’t believe the city should focus on fixing the mural. Instead, she said the city needs to move its funding and focus on permanent solutions to help the Black community, particularly Black children.
“That’s what the city can do because this is temporary,” she said. “But our lives are not temporary on how we live.”
Abdul-Mutakallim said hate and racism steal lives and potential away from children who deserve to grow, and it will take more than murals to change that.
As for the investigation into the vandalism, police released surveillance video of someone dumping a bucket of red paint over two of the letters overnight.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (513) 352-3040.
