PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A little more than a year after his death, a mural in the Olney section of Philadelphia remembering George Floyd was defaced with white supremacist graffiti.
Now, that mural is covered in gray paint and the community is outraged.
Painted on the side of the newspaper stand at 5th Street and Olney Avenue, the George Floyd mural was a symbol of unity for the neighborhood. Vandals destroyed it by spray painting words and symbols associated with a national hate group.
"We are not going to stand for it. It should be over. It is time to grow up," said one area resident who wished to remain anonymous.
"I feel sad about it and mad about it, because that is against the law coming up here and marking up something like that. I don't appreciate it."
City Councilwoman Cherelle Parker said this act only strengthens the fight against racism, and that such an act will not be tolerated.
"The racism that was in the heart of a man like a Derek Chauvin, this heinous act affirms that there are many others who agree with his sentiments," she said.
"They do it in cowardice ways," Parker added. "I don't know if they had on hoods when they came in to the Olney community to, you know spray paint, these expressions and symbols of white nationalism and white supremacy."
The mural and the graffiti have now been painted over with gray paint.
Northwest Detectives are investigating. They are looking for surveillance video from nearby businesses.