Three people were arrested and a fourth received a subpoena after a Black Lives Matter mural on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue in front of the Trump Tower was smashed in blue paint on Friday afternoon, police said.
The incident, which occurred around 4:00 p.m., marks the second in a week that someone threw paint on the mural, which the city painted on July 9.
Two women and a man were arrested and charged with criminal conduct after surveillance video showed them smearing blue paint, police said. Germanotta, 39, D’Anna Morgan, 25, and Luis Martinez, 44, were released with a fine to appear, according to police.
Another person, who was identified only as a 64-year-old woman, received a subpoena for illegally posting flyers.
NBC New York reported that it appeared to be a coordinated effort.
On Monday, a man threw red paint on part of the mural before fleeing. New York Police have released photos of the man and say he is wanted for criminal mischief.
The Black Lives Matter mural was installed after protests and calls for racial justice and police reform that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.
President Donald Trump, a former New York City resident, criticized the mural.
Trump called it a “symbol of hatred” after the plans were announced. The president tweeted at the time that he would be “denigrating” what he called a luxury avenue.
After Monday’s vandalism, the mural was quickly repainted.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat who helped paint some of that, was challenging after that incident, tweeting “good try” and nothing that had already been fixed.
The Black Lives Matter movement “is more than words, and cannot be undone,” he said.
Trump in October changed his permanent residence from New York City to Florida.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, commented at the time: “Have a good trip. It’s not like Mr. Trump pays taxes here anyway.” The governor added: “It’s all yours, Florida.”
Trump tweeted about the change of residence at the time that “I appreciate New York and the people of New York, and I always will.” But the president said that “the political leaders of the city and the state have treated me very badly.”
