2Pac and Snoop Dogg appear alongside a series of other West Coast figures on an L.A. mural that is now being threatened with removal.
According to ABC7 Eyewitness News, one of the most iconic murals in Bellflower, which honors the culture of Los Angeles, is in danger of being torn down, and celebrities are fighting for its preservation.
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In addition to ‘Pac and Snoop, other celebrities depicted in the mural include Kobe Bryant, Danny Trejo, Oscar De La Hoya and legendary sports commentator Vin Scully.
The mural’s artist, who goes by sloe_motions, shared on Instagram on Wednesday (April 26) that he had received a notice from the city to remove the art, which is located on the side of Speedy Auto Tint on Woodruff Avenue.
“I want to reach out to everyone n help get the word spread to keep this up,” he captioned the post. “This is our culture and these are our city’s, government policies n politics shouldn’t have any effect on the peoples art or expression.
“I’m tired of the cities tryna stop artists and make things hard on us when we are the ones giving the inspiration to the community’s n giving back in a real way.”
An online petition has been launched by the owner of Speedy’s, which so far has collected over 2,000 signatures as of press time. You can sign it here.
“At Speedy Auto Tint we are proud of our mural because we are a Latino/ family-owned small business, and we believe this mural represents the city of Los Angeles and the culture it embodies,” the petition reads.
According to the petition, Bellflower wants the mural taken down because it faces a main street instead of a side street. Currently, they are appealing the code enforcement, but need community support.
A few of the celebrities depicted on the mural are now speaking out in favor of it. A picture of the mural was shared by Danny Trejo, who said: “Go check it out before the city removes it!”
Oscar De La Hoya commented on the artist’s Instagram post: “Thank you brother for the love. I’ll make some calls.”
In a official statement to Eyewitness News, Bellflower Mayor Sonny R. Santa Ines said the city does not object to the mural’s contents.
“However, it does not comply with the established mural standards in the Municipal Code, and we have received complaints about that fact. Our staff is engaged with the owner of the business and we are actively seeking an appropriate solution.”
