A group of five police officers has filed a lawsuit against the city of Palo Alto, California because they feel a city-commissioned Black Lives Matter mural is offensive to law enforcement officers. Painted in front of city hall after the murder of George Floyd, the mural features portraits of Assata Shakur, George Floyd and the New Black Panther logo. In its entirety, the group claims the mural constitutes harassment. It was set to stay up for one year, but it was taken down in November.
"Law enforcement officers, including Plaintiffs, were forced to physically pass and confront the Mural and its offensive, discriminatory, and harassing iconography every time they entered the Palo Alto Police Department,” the lawsuit reads.
This is not the first lawsuit that the group has filed. Previously, the group filed a lawsuit claiming that the mural violated California's Fair Employment and Housing Act. The National Police Association also called the mural an "atrocity" that should be removed immediately. However, the city pushed back and kept the mural up.
“[Palo Alto] ratified the conduct and insisted that it remain and persist,” the lawsuit reads.
City officials have not responded to the lawsuit in an official capacity. Thus far, a city spokesperson has only informed The Hill that they have not received the official lawsuit.
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