A mural featuring Colin Kaepernick has been demolished in Atlanta just days before the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams meet in Super Bowl LIII in the city.
The mural was created by artist Fabian Williams, also known as Occasional Superstar – two years ago on the side of an abandoned building.
Williams had created the piece in tribute to Kaepernick, who has protested against racial injustice in the US.
Williams said he noticed that the tribute had been torn down when he was driving through the area last week, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC), and posted footage of the scene on social media
“Think about that. The way they kick off the celebration if the @NFL most watched event, they tear down the building with their most talked about professional athlete without a job, Colin Kaepernick,” Williams wrote. What did he kneel for? Inequality. Human rights. That’s the symbol that they just demolished during their celebration. Timing is important and it’s a message.”
The mural had adorned an abandoned building.
The site was ravaged by fire around six months ago, but the wall with the artwork, which featured Kaepernick in a jersey of local team the Falcons, alongside boxing legend Muhammad Ali in the style of a character from the Marvel blockbuster ‘Black Panther’ – had remained.
Williams said the owner of the building had liked the mural, but that “the city was complaining to him about it.”
The building lies about a mile from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which will host Sunday’s extravaganza, and Williams had planned to spruce up the mural before then, the AJC said.
He said the destruction of the site so close to the game was “odd.”
“I figured at some point they would tear the building down, but it has been sitting up this whole time.“The fact that the Super Bowl happens here and the weekend when the festivities are gearing up, the building gets demolished is very odd.”
The owner of the building could not be reached, the AJC said, and it is unclear who was behind the demolition.
Roger Goodell isn’t mad.
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