ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Advocates have launched a petition to avoid wasting two murals that might quickly be eliminated beneath a brand new Florida regulation.
The petition from Save our Road Murals asks residents to “help the Metropolis of St. Petersburg’s efforts to struggle again in opposition to state overreach and anti-gay rhetoric.”
FOX13 reported the Florida Division of Transportation directed municipalities to take away avenue murals it considers “social, political or ideological.”
In July, FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue stated Florida’s “proactive efforts to make sure we maintain our transportation services free & away from political ideologies” have been solidified into regulation by Gov. Ron DeSantis in June with the signing of Senate Invoice 1662.
The town reportedly has two murals in query: a Pleasure-themed rainbow crosswalk at Central Avenue and twenty fifth Road, and a Black Historical past Issues mural exterior the Woodson African American Historical past Museum.
The group claims avenue murals and public artwork “play an important function in our on a regular basis lives” and that they’re “not simply mere decorations; they’re symbols of our variety, a celebration of our distinctive id, and a testomony to our metropolis’s spirit because the ‘Metropolis of the Arts.’”
“For us, artwork actually issues. Nevertheless, these cherished symbols are beneath menace from state and federal insurance policies that jeopardize our capacity to take care of native rule and defend these integral components of our neighborhood,” the petition stated.
In July, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reportedly launched a press release saying taxpayers anticipate their {dollars} to fund secure streets, not rainbow crosswalks, and urged them to prioritize security over political statements.
The St. Petersburg Metropolis Council is predicted to satisfy subsequent month to debate the problem.
