Murals Torn Down Memorializing George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Dillon Taylor & Other Victims Of Police Violence

The demolition of Salt Lake City’s Fleet Block murals has left many residents mourning the loss of what was once a powerful space honoring victims of police violence. Created on a vacant public building after the killing of George Floyd, the 26 red and magenta murals — including portraits of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others — transformed the 8.5-acre area into what many saw as a sacred space for mourning and reflection.

“It’s for the wrong reason — death at the hands of officers — but it was a place for us to mourn and show respect for the lives lost,” said Mona Robinson, a nearby resident. That space is now gone, as the city moves forward with plans to redevelop the area for housing, businesses, and public gathering areas.

Despite the city’s claims that preserving the murals became too costly and that structural issues, including asbestos, posed risks, community members remain deeply hurt. “This was a protest wall,” said Rae Duckworth of Black Lives Matter Utah, whose cousin Bobby Ray Duckworth was killed by police in 2019. “The space was designed out of love. Everybody in Utah should know a name and a face here and their story.”

Robinson echoed those sentiments, calling the murals’ removal a symbolic erasure. “This action, in some ways, shows what matters to us doesn’t matter to them — whether here or anywhere else in America,” she said.

City Council Member Darin Mano acknowledged the space’s emotional impact, calling it “a place of mourning for families and a powerful call for police reform.” While he expressed hope that the new development would remain “a place for reflection, connection and community,” for some, that hope feels hollow.

Jovany Mercado-Bedolla, whose brother was depicted in one of the murals, said, “We hoped that the mural would be the change. To see them come down, [we’re] feeling defeated. Now we’re just hoping the city stays true to their word.”

Link: NBCNews