A mural painted in an alley behind MAAC Community Charter School in Chula Vista, California depicts a decapitated head of President Trump with a spear through his mouth. The painting has drawn a wide array of criticism and lead to death threats.
According to Washington Post, the innovative piece was created by Sasha Andrade on April 28 for a yearly graffiti expo event entitled “Battlegroundz” which helps with raising scholarship funds for students. However, KUSI reported the charter school received a number of complaints and covered the mural with plywood until it is recreated.
“We understand that there was a mural painted at the event this past weekend that does not align with our school’s philosophy of nonviolence. We have been in communication with the artist — who has agreed to modify the artwork — to better align with the school’s philosophy,” school director Tommy Ramirez said in a statement.
Although the painting was covered, Andrade is still receiving death threats allegedly made by white supremacists. She blasted KUSI news station for using her photos and images without permission and took to Facebook to explain the backlash she’s faced.
Andrade wrote, “We decided to change the mural because there were threats made to the school from ‘white supremacist’ and threats to the kids, we were just going to adjust the mural but when things got out of control and the school started receiving threats and putting the students at risk, we decided to change it completely, ” she said. “Other media outlets started to enter school property and were not being nice about it. For example KUSI News John Soderman walked in the school’s reception demanding to see the mural with no respect what so ever they also did not do their research and gave out my name and my images without my permission and because of that is why I started to get hate threats.”
Andrade also posted the threats she’s been receiving by predominantly white people who bashed her deceased nephew. She wrote on Facebook, “It irritates me and saddens me that this is the country we are living in full of hate and racist people.”
The Secret Service has received numerous calls about the mural and called for the arrest of Andrade. Central Intelligence Agency spokesman Joseph A. Casey told the Washington Post they’re well informed about the painting, but did not specify if the artist’s painting is the subject of investigation.
