SALT LAKE CITY — A mural of gay rights activist Harvey Milk was vandalized overnight along the Salt Lake City road that bears his name.
Photos of the mural, which sits on Harvey Milk Boulevard, showed red paint that had apparently been thrown at the mural, which features a portrait of Milk and his quote speaking about the equality of all people.
The vandalism comes months after a member of the Utah State Legislature proposed renaming the road after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the U.S. Navy to rename a ship that had honored Milk.
Thursday is the 47th anniversary of Milk's assassination in San Francisco.
The mural honoring Milk was created by artist Josh Scheuerman and dedicated in 2019.
"We are deeply saddened by the heated political environment and the desire by many to rename our Harvey Milk Blvd.," said the building's owners, J.R. and Todd Holbrook. "We all need to come together to build up our beautiful Utah and not tear it down."
