Phoenix City Council Rejects BLM Mural Proposal

PHOENIX — Phoenix won't be getting a Black Lives Matter mural after all. The Phoenix City Council voted to reject plans for proposed street art honoring the movement, the city manager announced Wednesday night.

The mural was proposed by the Transportation, Infrastructure and Innovation Subcommittee but a discussion planned for the Sept. 2 city council meeting was scrapped due to questions of legalityand safety. The city of Phoenix does not currently allow street art.

The announcement came in a letter signed by Phoenix City Manager Ed Zuercher.

"Based on existing regulations governing allowable marking in the street, as well as overriding concerns with safety, risks, and federal guidelines for marking on streets, the City of Phoenix cannot accommodate your request," the city wrote.

After the discussion was scrapped, the topic was set to be handled during the city council's most recent executive session, which will not be made public.

The street mural proposed by the street mural organizer would have included the words "Black Lives Matter" with painted portraits of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., César Estrada Chávez and former U.S. Representative John Robert Lewis. Lewis passed away in July after a difficult battle with pancreatic cancer.

The mural would likely have been installed near Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix City Hall or the Arizona State Capitol in downtown Phoenix. Cities like Tucson, Minneapolis and New York City have already installed similar street murals.

Some city council members were publicly skeptical about the mural and its potential safety hazards.

"She does not support an initiative that could present a hazard, possibly distracting or confusing drivers, or bringing curious pedestrians onto the street to see the mural," a spokesperson for Debra Stark, who represents Council District 3, previously told Patch.

In a celebratory tweet following the news, Councilman Sal DiCiccio, who represents Council District 6, said he considered the "backpedaling" on the mural a win for the public.

"Never underestimate political self-preservation," he tweeted.