US EditionProvidence mayor calls for removal of Iryna Zarutska mural, says intent is 'divisive,' 'misguided'
The owners said the piece was paused after backlash over its national funding campaign and will be taken down as soon as possible.
- On Sunday, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley called for removal of an incomplete mural of slain Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska from The Dark Lady, an LGBTQ+ club, describing it as "divisive" and "misguided."
- Partially funded by tech billionaire Elon Musk, the mural honors Zarutska, a 23-year-old refugee fatally stabbed on a Charlotte, North Carolina, light rail train in August 2025 by a repeat offender with a lengthy criminal history.
- State Representative David Morales joined Smiley in criticizing the work, claiming it was part of a "right-wing movement" exploiting the refugee's death and did not reflect the city's values.
- Following the backlash, the owners of The Dark Lady apologized for the "chaos and division" and announced they would discontinue the project and remove the mural as soon as possible.
- The incident reflects broader national crime policy debates, with President Donald Trump spotlighting Zarutska's case at his 2026 State of the Union address to criticize Democrats' criminal justice policies.
54 Articles
54 Articles
Smiley: City never directed building owner to put up or take down mural
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley has been in the national headlines after calling a controversial mural "divisive." He joined Kim Kalunian on Wednesday to talk more about the story, as well as other prominent issues in the city.
Miranda Devine: Dems’ callous rebuke of an Iryna Zarutska mural exposes their own twisted, backwards ‘values’
It’s fitting that the Iryna Zarutska mural in Providence, RI, is being removed on the say-so of the city’s lefty mayor before the artist could complete the murdered young woman’s face. The post Miranda Devine: Dems’ callous rebuke of an Iryna Zarutska mural exposes their own twisted, backwards ‘values’ appeared first on Conservative Angle | Conservative Angle - Conservative News Clearing House
City's Demand to Remove Iryna Zarutska Mural Speaks Volumes About the Left's 'Values'
“We can agree, this mural behind us does not reflect Providence’s values.” Can you guess what kind of mural doesn’t reflect the so-called values of Providence, Rhode Island, according to a local Democrat politician? The half-finished mural—reportedly backed by Elon Musk—now set to be removed is a depiction of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who was murdered by a deranged criminal with 14 prior arrests on a North Carolina train in August. My…
View: The Musk-funded mural backlash elevates the messy politics of martyrdom
David’s viewThe murals went up in Chicago, Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Fort Lauderdale before Democrats finally took notice.In September, weeks after the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail train, Elon Musk joined a crowdfunded campaign to paint murals of her in as many cities as possible. Campaign sponsors hoped that anyone unaware of her story — an innocent young woman killed by a man wh…
Watch Democrat candidate for mayor claim mural honoring murdered refugee is against city ‘values’ * WorldNetDaily * by Harold Hutchison, Daily Caller News Foundation
Source link Iryna Zarutska A Democrat running to be the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, told a local reporter that a mural of murdered Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska did not reflect the city’s “values.” Zarutska was stabbed to death on Aug. 22 in Charlotte, North Carolina, while returning home from work on the city’s light rail
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