Following an order from Victoria council to remove a portion of a mural in Bastion Square that contained the letters ‘ACAB,’ artists involved in the creation of the piece worked to replace the artwork on Wednesday and Thursday.
The mural has been a source of controversy since it was found to contain the acronym, widely understood to stand for “All Cops Are Bastard/Bad.”
VicPD Chief Del Manak was vocal in his calls to remove the message, which he described as “deeply disrespectful.”
On Wednesday, activist and community organizer Charity Williams wrote on Instagram that there were many discussions between the artists and city staff and those talks would be continuing.
“This is in no way a concession, rather a way forward,” Williams wrote. “We have a ways to go, but I’m proud of being a part of the conversation.”
She added that the artists would be adding a new message to replace the old one, beginning at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
City manager Jocelyn Jenkyns said in an emailed statement to Victoria Buzz that the mural would be changing but would “remain an honest representation of the artists’ experience.”
“The 17 BIPOC artists who created the More Justice, More Peace mural have sparked an important conversation about systemic racism and discrimination in our city and in our country,” Jenkyns said.
“We now move forward and I know that the important message of this mural will continue to inspire conversations.”
A spokesperson for the city added that the artists’ new design to replace the ‘ACAB’ portion was approved by city staff, and was expected to be completed Thursday afternoon.
The new design will include a message that reads:
“This letter has been censored by the City of Victoria influenced by the Victoria Police Department. In doing so, Victoria is contributing to the silencing of Black and Indigenous voices and experiences across this land.”