Police are seeking a couple captured on video who tried to paint over a massive Black Lives Mural that had been painted less than an hour earlier on a street in Martinez, California.
“We're sick of this narrative. That's what's wrong,” said the man, responding to onlookers. “The narrative of police brutality. The narrative of oppression. The narrative of racism. It's a lie. There is no oppression. There is no racism. It's a leftist lie. It's a lie from the media, the liberal left.”
“This is racism. You are the idiot in this situation,” said an onlooker.
“Keep this sh*t in f**king New York. This doesn't happen in my town,” screeched the woman as she struggled to cover the letters with a paint roller.
“Don't you have something better to do, Becky?” said an onlooker.
“F**king Keep America Great Again that's right,” said the man, responding to onlookers. “Why don't you guys learn about history. The emancipation proclamation act. Yeah, that's right, Abraham Lincoln. You're only free because of our forefathers.”
At some point, the couple left to get more paint. they never returned.
Wrote the Martinez Police Department in a statement: “On July 4 , community members obtained a permit from the City to paint Black Lives Matter on Court Street in downtown Martinez. Once the mural was completed, an unidentified white male and white female arrived. While the male made comments to a group of onlookers his companion began painting over the mural with black paint. At one point she made a statement that this was not, ‘…happening in my town.' She also asked the male to get her another can of paint to continue with the act of vandalism. It appeared that the couple came to the mural with cans of paint and a roller with the specific purpose of vandalizing over the mural.”
Added the MPD: “The community spent a considerable amount of time painting this mural only to have the suspects destroy it by dumping and rolling paint over part of the message. MPD was notified and by the time we arrived the suspects were gone. A witness provided a photograph of the suspect's vehicle which was described as a Nissan pickup truck with the word “NICOLE” on the right side of the tailgate in silver lettering. The truck has a camper shell and the license plate is 52701B1. The case is currently under investigation and if any members of the public can identify the male and female involved in this incident please call our Dispatch Center at 925-372-3440 with the information.”
“The community spent a considerable amount of time putting the mural together only to have it painted over in a hateful and senseless manner,” the MPD concluded. “The City of Martinez values tolerance and the damage to the mural was divisive and hurtful. Please help us identify those that are responsible for this crime, so they can be held accountable for their actions.”
