By Katy Thornton
The mural was originally unveiled in 2019 after the journalist’s untimely death.
A mural in Orlando Florida of journalist Lyra McKee, who was killed in 2019 during a riot in Derry, has had to be repainted after being covered in anti-LGBTQIA+ grafitti.
The mural was defaced with hateful rhetoric during the week, and Anna Eskamani, a member of the Florida House of Representatives, took to socials to condemn the vandalism, calling it, “absolutely disgusting” and promising they would do what they could to “identify who did this and hold them accountable.”
Non-profit organisation Zebra Youth and the artist behind the mural, Kim Murphy, were able to undo the damage, unveiling the newly painted mural on socials, and thanking volunteers for their help with the process.
Lyra McKee dedicated her 2017 TedTalk in Stormont to the victims of the Orlando massacre in Pulse nightclub, which took place in the summer of 2016. The Orlando mural was unveiled following her untimely death in 2019, which shows a portrait of the late journalist with the words: “Keep hanging on, kid. It’s worth it. I love you.”
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