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2 Religious Leaders Arrested For Blocking FDOT Street Mural Removal In St. Pete

On Friday night in St. Petersburg, two religious figures, Andrew Oliver and Benedict Atherton-Zeman, were taken into custody after attempting to prevent Florida Department of Transportation workers from covering up the street painting that reads "Black History Matters" by the Woodson Museum.
The arrests followed FDOT's denial about a week earlier of the city's request to preserve several murals, citing a new state law banning non-standard surface markings for safety reasons.
Oliver and Atherton-Zeman sat down on the mural around 8:15 p.m., refused repeated police orders to move, and faced charges for pedestrian obstruction and hindering traffic.
Research conducted in 2022 by Bloomberg Philanthropies demonstrated that the presence of street art led to a 50% reduction in crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists, challenging state officials' assertions that removing murals improves safety.
Mayor Ken Welch stated he would not risk critical city investments fighting FDOT’s order, urging a strategic response while DeSantis insisted roads must remain clear of political messaging.

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Penn Live

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Pastors arrested after blocking crews from covering Black history mural in Florida

The mural outside the Woodson African American Museum was ultimately covered up.

4 days ago·Harrisburg, United States

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Denver Gazette

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2 Florida pastors arrested after blocking state from painting over street mural, police say

TAMPA, Fla. — Two pastors were arrested Friday night as they attempted to block state crews from covering up a street mural, according to St. Petersburg Police.

4 days ago·Denver, United States

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