George Floyd Mural on East Haley Street painted over

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - What was once a mural of George Floyd on East Haley Street, is now covered with white paint.

In June 2020, just a week after George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer who knelt on his neck, the community came together in solidarity for this mural.

Now, the mural has been painted over with white paint. 

According to someone associated with EOS Lounge Nightclub, the mural received positive responses, yet the negative ones were overpowering as vandalism kept happening on the mural.

The mural was painted by Griffin Loundbury and Chadillac Green back in 2020.

The mural displayed Floyd himself and his last words, “Please, I can’t breathe.”

Your News Channel spoke with Lounsbury over the phone and he said, when they painted the mural, they never expected for it to be up this long.

The city wasn't involved, and they though it might be taken down within a matter of weeks.

Instead, it stayed up for more than four years and became a well-known landmark.

Another mural is in the works, and the city will be involved in the process this time around.

"“The murder of George Floyd was a very politically charged and sensitive issue in our country a few years ago. I think the removal of the mural will probably have a lot of emotions for individuals," said Santa Barbara City Administrator Kelly McAdoo. "But I want to note that the artist and the property owner mutually agreed on a replacement for the mutual and that we are looking for a new mural that will also equally reflect our values and diversity in our community.”

There is no word yet on what the next mural will be.