The New York City Black Lives Matter mural in front of the Trump Tower was smashed a second time in 24 hours on Saturday and a third time in the past week.
Two women were arrested Saturday afternoon after smashing the mural. The suspects, Edmee Chavannes, 39, and Bevelyn Beatty, 29, were arrested and charged with criminal conduct, New York police told NBC News in an email. The women, both from Staten Island, tried to cover the yellow message with black paint, which they had just repainted after being ripped apart on Friday.
The video of the incident, posted on Instagram by the New York City Police Charitable Association, shows police trying to arrest one of the women while smearing black paint on the mural. The woman is heard on the video repeatedly yelling “Reimburse the police” and “Jesus matters.”
An officer trying to stop the suspect slipped on the black paint and fell. The video shows the officer, covered in paint, lying on the ground on his side, bending his legs to his chest.
“Fortunately our brother will be fine,” the police union said of the officer who slipped on the paint.
On Friday, three people were arrested and a fourth received a vandalism summons after blue paint was splattered on the Fifth Avenue mural.
On Monday, a man threw red paint on part of the mural before fleeing. New York Police released photos of the man and say he is wanted for criminal mischief.
The Black Lives Matter mural, supported and partially painted by Mayor Bill de Blasio, was installed after protests following George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis on May 25.
President Trump called the mural outside his tower a “symbol of hatred,” and said it would be “demeaning” to what he called a luxury avenue.
