What's George Floyd Doing In Downtown Marietta?

MARIETTA, OH — Some may have noticed a bit of a light show last night in downtown Marietta, police lights, and projector lights. A local artist had been commissioned to do the portrait of George Floyd on the side of the Mediterranean restaurant, TLV. Police were called to the scene due to reports of vandalism. They were assured by the owners of the building that this was not graffiti.

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Ari Gold is one of the owners and said not only is it wanted, but it is also important to him personally.

"In the hundreds of years we've been here, a lot has changed, and George Floyd, sadly for him, he fell as a victim, but he created a movement."

He said that as an immigrant and a Jew, he knows too well how it is to be treated as less than equal.

"It doesn't matter if you're a different color, a different race, a different belief, a different religion or that you have any different sexual preferences of any kind."

The message he's trying to send behind the mural is that we're all people.

"George Floyd was not treated as equal but he has created, sadly with his death, a movement that pushes for equality."

Gold said that while George Floyd may have done drugs and been an imperfect person, we are all imperfect people and shouldn't forget what his death stands for.

"He became a symbol for a movement. His death shone the light on real issues in this country today."

He said he tried to reach out to the mayor of Marietta about putting up a mural and was told that he couldn't ask questions. He specifically called out Steve Wetz, the Marietta City Safety-Service Director. Gold said he does have serious problems with Marietta right now about an investigation with the city and the police department, but this mural isn't a protest to that.

"I read that the chief of police resigned because of the investigation that was started."

He's referring to an internal investigation commissioned by the City of Marietta into Marietta Police Chief Rodney Hupp. This investigation was said to find that Hupp had led to a hostile work environment. It should be noted that the City of Marietta isn't releasing the results of this investigation. There are other allegations are arising in other local news outlets, namely The Marietta Times. Gold believes there are other allegations the city and city council doesn't want people to hear and that they're trying to sweep it under the rug. He filed a request (FOIA) for those documents and said the city's trying to block it.

"I do believe there should be fairness justice and love of everyone everywhere. I'm not going against anyone. I believe there should be transparency between the government and the people just like the constitution says."

He reiterated that this wasn't a protest mural against the city. It's just a reminder that is his way of calling out for fairness, justice, and love. He said the colors on the mural should remind people that your color doesn't matter.

"We're all equal and we need to stop hiding or protecting people that think for some odd reason some people are different."

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