George Floyd And Traore Mural Vandalised In Paris

Story By: Joseph GolderSub-EditorJoseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

This mural in tribute to George Floyd and alleged police abuse victim French Adama Traore, who both reportedly died at the hands of cops, has been vandalised in Paris.

Adama Traore died in 2016 shortly after his arrest in murky circumstances and his death has been compared to that of George Floyd in the USA.

News of the graffiti attack comes after the regional prefect ordered the local mayor to have the word “police” removed from the artwork.

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The fresco was recently unveiled in Stains, a commune in the northern Seine-Saint-Denis department on the outskirts of the French capital, and has “Against Racism and Police Violence” written on it.

But now it has been defaced with graffiti.

The work of art had the words “extortion”, “theft”, “stop the Traores”, and “robber of pregnant women” a little over a week after it was inaugurated having been painted by local artists.

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The graffiti attack took place during the night of Saturday 4th June to Sunday 5th June and it is currently unclear who is behind it and why the fresco was vandalised.

The fresco caused controversy with police unions in France and with some politicians, who object to the word “police” being on it. On Friday 3rd June, the mayor of Stains was given notice by the prefect of Seine-Saint-Denis to modify the fresco.

Stains mayor Azzedine Taibi is quoted in local media as saying: “The prefect warned me to delete the word ‘police’ from the fresco. This injunction stems from the police union Alliance. I do not understand the meaning of this unfounded formal notice.”

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He has reportedly mandated his lawyer Arie Alimi to “study the follow-up to be given to the prefect”.

Adama’s sister Assa has spearheaded a black rights movement since his death and this year won a BET International Global Good Award for her work.

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