A bust created in honor of slain Louisville resident Breonna Taylor was smashed and vandalized, presumably by Black Lives Matter protesters, in downtown Oakland, California over the weekend.
Police are investigating the act of vandalism and vowed to get even with whoever smashed the bust in protest of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, was shot to death by three undercover cops who served a wrong house warrant on Taylor’s Louisville apartment in March.
The ceramic bust, installed 2 weeks ago, was painted brown and featured the words “Say Her Name Breonna Taylor.”
The artist, Leo Carson, expressed his disappointment and said the vandalism felt like a personal attack on himself and Taylor.
“At first I was stunned and shocked and hurt and angry,” said Carson, an unemployed waiter. “Just a whole flood of emotions. It felt like I was personally attacked and also they attacked Breonna Taylor and the BLM movement.”
Carson, who was among those demonstrating in the streets prior to the November 3 presidential elections, spent the next 6 weeks creating the sculpture.
“I was able to take that time and practice and training I have as an artist and put that into service of something much bigger than myself that’s happening,” Carson said.
Carson created a GoFundMe page to help defray the cost of repairing the bust.
