College paints over anti-Semitic messages on walls; protesting students stand in way — and get themselves some primer



Case Western Reserve University ordered anti-Semitic messages on a pair of walls at the Cleveland college painted over this week — and video caught the moment when pro-Palestinian students standing in front of one wall got hit with spray paint themselves.

What are the details?

University President Eric Kaler on Monday said pro-Palestinian protesters painted an advocacy wall near Eldred Hall with threatening and anti-Semitic language and later painted the Spirit Wall near Thwing Center with intimidating language, WJW-TV reported.

"The lengths this university goes to defend Zionist Genocidal interests is insane."

Kaler said in an email that the messaging on the walls was “threatening, intimidating, and anti-Semitic,” Cleveland.com reported, adding that the college hired contractors to paint over the walls early Tuesday morning.

Well, some pro-Palestinian students weren't having it and stood in front of one of the walls, presumably believing the contractors would spray-paint around them.

Uh, not so much.

Here's how Case Western's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine described the scene:

"The lengths this university goes to defend Zionist Genocidal interests is insane," the SJP post on Instagram reads.

Cleveland.com reported that 18-year-old Ameer Alkayali is seen in the video being spray-painted. A Palestinian-American who just finished his freshman year at the University of Cincinnati, Alkayali has been protesting with Case Western students since the first day of their encampment last week, the outlet said.

“I stood against the wall, and the painters asked, ‘Should we continue?’ The cops showed general confusion and didn’t tell them to stop,” Alkayali told Cleveland.com. “So, as seen in the video, they continue to just paint right over us. They told us to not put our hands in front of the machine because it’s dangerous. And we put our hands up, and they still continued to paint on our hands and sprayed us with it?”

Alkayali told the outlet he's planning legal action against Case Western and its public safety department: “We were coughing, and it didn’t come out of my skin for hours. Like it’s still in my hair. I can see it under my nails, and there was no sort of medical or any assistance with the situation after from Case or local police.”

'I am disturbed by what occurred'

Kaler in a Wednesday morning statement said he was “deeply sorry” about the students’ treatment, WJW reported, adding that the school president's statement reads, in part:

I have reviewed video footage, which depicts students blocking the wall as a third-party contractor spray painted directly onto protesters as he attempted to finish painting the wall, and I am disturbed by what occurred.

Let me be clear: No students — or any individuals — should ever be treated this way, especially on a campus where our core values center on providing a safe, welcoming environment. This is not who we are as an institution, and I am deeply sorry this ever occurred.

The university will continue to fully investigate these actions and hold individuals responsible for this behavior, including the failure of our own officers to intervene.

Again, I want to reiterate my sincere regret for this incident. As with any violation of our codes of conduct, we will take action to hold them accountable.

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and Police Chief Annie Todd issued a joint statement on Wednesday that suggests protesters faced “criminal interference” with their First Amendment rights, WJW also said, adding that their statement reads, in part:

Cleveland is a city for everyone, and we must respect the thoughts, feelings, and voices of those who come from various backgrounds. These diverse perspectives are what makes us special, and ultimately stronger, as a city. Our community deserves venues where they have the ability to constitutionally express their opinions openly without fear of criminal interference.

We support 1st Amendment rights and implore CWRU leadership to consider this and think about how the decisions they make and the actions they take — especially against those who are abiding by the law — will influence some of the progress we have collectively made as a city. At the same time, we urge individuals to demonstrate peacefully.

Anything else?

Cleveland.com reported that the Spirit Wall was painted again Tuesday night — but with a pro-Israel message: “They call for intifada so we call them terrorists.”

Protesters spray painted by contractors at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland youtu.be

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FACT CHECK: No, This Image Of a Journalist Nailed To a Cross is Not A Banksy Piece

The mural was done by an Egyptian-born artist in California and was created using AI tools

'We're here! We're queer! Get used to it!': President of college founded by Methodists promotes LBGTQ mural in freshman dorm



The president of Emory University — an Atlanta college founded by Methodists — promoted an LGBTQ mural recently painted on the wall of a residence hall for freshmen students.

What are the details?

A video showing the mural was on President Greg Fenves' Instagram page under a "Move-In" subheading as of Tuesday morning.

The stairwell mural depicts five protesters adorned with some colors from the LGBTQ rainbow flag holding signs that read, "The Kiss," "Pride," and "We're here! We're queer! Get used to it!"

Image source: Instagram video screenshot via @gregfenves, composite

Another mural seen in the video depicts Democratic political activist Stacey Abrams, who failed in her bid to become Georgia governor in 2018 but afterward was credited with helping flip the state blue during the 2020 election — and also in a special January 2021 election that tipped the balance of power in the U.S. Senate to Democrats.

In addition, one of Abrams' groups — the New Georgia Project — came under investigation last year for "repeatedly and aggressively" seeking to register "ineligible, out-of-state, or deceased voters" before the state's Jan. 5 Senate runoffs.

Next to Abrams in the mural is an image of John Lewis, a civil rights icon and longtime Democratic congressman from Georgia who died last year at the age of 80.

Also in the mural is an image of a person who appears to be Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Image source: Instagram video screenshot via @gregfenves

Both murals were painted in Emory's Alabama Hall, a dormitory for first-year students, Campus Reform reported, adding that they were installed prior to students moving in for the fall semester.

The outlet added that Emory University itself shared images of the murals on its Instagram story.

Anything else?

Emory's website indicates that while Methodists founded the school in 1836, it has "grown into a place where people of all different faiths and degrees of devotion come together." Indeed, the featured image on Emory's "Religious & Spiritual Life" page shows the Dalai Lama greeting a crowd of smiling faces.

Campus Reform said Emory hasn't responded to its inquiry regarding whether the university paid to have the murals created; the outlet added that the school also did not respond to a request for comment.

George Floyd mural destroyed by lightning strike, witnesses say — and reactions are particularly pointed



A George Floyd mural in Toledo, Ohio, was destroyed by what witnesses say was a lightning strike, police told WTVG-TV.

What are the details?

The building wall upon which the mural was painted collapsed, the station said, adding that WTVG's Doppler radar showed a lightning strike around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the block where the building — which used to house the Mugshots Bar — is located.

In the aftermath, the station said Toledo police were seen outside the building and setting up tape around the pile of bricks upon which the artwork was crafted.

George Floyd Mural Reportedly Struck by Lightning in Toledo, Ohioyoutu.be

The building itself is structurally sound, a city building inspector told WTVG, and the owner of the building is working to clean up the bricks and tear down the rest of the mural wall.

The mural was painted in July 2020 — nearly one year to the date of its destruction, the station said. Groups have held memorial services for Floyd in front of the mural, WTVG noted, adding that one of them took place on the one-year anniversary of Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police.

The City of Toledo said in a statement that officials will work with the arts commission on planning a new mural or help the commission and the artist find a new location, the station said, adding that they were heartbroken to see artist David Ross' work collapse.

What was the reaction to the mural's destruction?

Commenters had a bit of a field day reacting to a WTVG investigative reporter's tweet about the mural's demise:

  • "And they say God isn't real," one commenter wrote.
  • "I'm not a religious person whatsoever, but if there was ever an event that caused me to pause, this would be it," another user said. "Wow..."
  • "Warning — be on the lookout for liberal logic on this: Lightning struck the mural; There is more lightning because of climate change; Republicans don't believe in climate change; Republicans are all white racists; White racists therefore destroyed the mural," another commenter quipped.
  • "Now BLM gonna say that lighting strikes are racist, and they should check their privileges," another user observed.
  • "Was wondering why we wanted a mural of a criminal anyway," another commenter noted. "Of course it's awful he's dead, but that doesn't mean we should celebrate a guy who held a knife to a pregnant woman's belly."

The following video includes a snippet showing the mural prior to its destruction:

Toledo Black Lives Matter activists remember George Floyd one year lateryoutu.be

Nearly 70-year-old murals at college to be removed after complaints they depict too many white people



Woke college students apparently strike again.

Seems a nearly 70-year-old set of murals at the University of Rhode Island is slated for the dust bin of history.

Image source: WJAR-TV video screenshot

Why?

We'll let Kathy Collins, the school's vice president of student affairs, fill you in on the reason.

"I have received complaints about the murals that [they] portray a very homogeneous population ... the persons painted and depicted on the wall are predominantly white, and that does not represent who our institution is today," Collins told WJAR-TV. "Some of our students have even shared with us they didn't feel comfortable sitting in that space."

Image source: WJAR-TV video screenshot

So now banners cover the murals, which were painted on plaster on two of the walls, the station said.

Image source: WJAR-TV video screenshot

"I think we have to recognize the horrible incidents [involving] George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and most recently Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, during this ... heightened time, and we as an institution have to look at the systems in place across this institution that maybe are not representing who we are today and representing the true diversity of URI today," Collins added to WJAR.

What's the background?

When veterans returned from World War II and enrolled at URI, they and other community members raised money in memory of those who lost their lives in the war — and result was the construction of a modern student union, and Memorial Union was dedicated in 1954, the station said.

Arthur "Art" Sherman was a decorated veteran and member of the class of 1950, and he was asked to paint murals for new student union, WJAR said.

"Oh, I loved painting that, yeah," Sherman, now 95 years old, told the station. "I never had any formal education in painting, by the way; I just used to cartoon."

Image source: WJAR-TV video screenshot

The murals depict returning servicemen, a class reunion, a URI commencement, a beach scene, and students piled into a car donned in letter sweaters, WJAR said.

Image source: WJAR-TV video screenshot

"Well, it depicted that era," Sherman recounted to the station. "A lot of students, friends of mine, would come by and say, 'Why don't you do this, why don't you do that?' So, that's what I did, so everybody chipped in."

Then came the complaints

Collins noted to WJAR that she's been working for URI for the last four years and has received complaints from students about the murals — and the school decided it wanted to start fall classes without the murals in sight.

"We've made a really difficult decision as we aim for the university's future, and we think about who are our students today, and who are our students going to be tomorrow," Collins told the station.

But the artist's family doesn't agree.

Pamela Sherman, Art Sherman's daughter, told WJAR that her family doesn't agree with the decision to remove the murals.

"It's an opportunity for the University of Rhode Island to do the right thing," Pamela Sherman told the station. "It's an opportunity for them to capture a moment in time in their history."

Image source: WJAR-TV video screenshot

She added to WJAR that the perspective should be, "Let's look at our history, and let's maintain the timeline of that history over the many generations. We would love to see new artwork, but let's put them alongside and show a timeline of the evolution of this campus, the evolution of this university."

Art Sherman ought to know, as he ended up becoming a professor of physical education at URI, where he worked for 30 years, the station said.

When WJAR asked him what he thought about his murals being removed, he smiled and laughed.

"That's a good question. Time goes by, and things change," he said.

Image source: WJAR-TV video screenshot

But his daughter wasn't as diplomatic.

"It's terribly upsetting, and we grew up with those murals being there," Pamela Sherman told the station, adding that "we never want to forget our past."

Collins told WJAR that photographs of the murals "will be included in any celebration of ... the Memorial Union" and that the school will "always recognize" Sherman's work.

Nevertheless, his daughter expressed doubts.

"Wouldn't it be a mistake if we look back 100 years from now and say, 'Isn't it a tragedy that we lost this artwork?'" she asked the station. "It's like any work of art, especially a painting — seeing a picture of it [is] just no comparison [to] seeing it live."

(H/T: The College Fix)

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