While city and state leaders throughout the country commission street art in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, a group of New Yorkers commissioned a painting of its own.
The group painted “f— Cuomo and de Blasio” in massive yellow letters along a street in Brooklyn. The unsanctioned artwork was painted on the street around 1 a.m. on Saturday following an annual block party in the area.
One attendee told the New York Post that the profane painting was created in protest of the strict coronavirus policies put in place by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The attendee called the painting a “small-business owner protest.”
“A few partygoers got the idea to paint in huge [letters, using] yellow paint with rollers on North 15th, ‘F— Cuomo and de Blasio.’ The party continued. Everyone took photos,” the anonymous partygoer said. “It was a big hit. The crowds cheered. Even the cops chuckled.”
Several people posted photos of the painting on social media.
— Tina40 (@RealTina40) September 21, 2020
The city immediately sent a crew to scrub the profane message from the street. By 10 p.m. on Saturday, the painting was completely covered by city workers. The New York City Police Department confirmed it had issued at least one criminal mischief citation over the incident but said the investigation has not been completed.
De Blasio participated in the creation of the Black Lives Matter painting on Fifth Avenue in front of Trump Tower earlier this year.
