Description of Incident: The mural ignited a neighborhood controversy after it appeared outside a Rite Aid drugstore in Park Slope, Brooklyn in the September of 1999. Some local residents objected to the mural saying it depicted violent images that were not representative of their neighborhood. In March of 2000, City Councilman Angel Rodriguez, who had been mediating negotiations between the mural’s supporters and opponents, backed Rite Aids decision to erase the colorful 0 some say lurid – mural from its outer wall. Ethan Saffer, who represented Rite Aid in the negotiations over the mural, said: “The unfortunate impending outcome is the probable covering up of the mural. We would have liked to see a compromise, a few changed to the images.” Annie Ellman, the executive director at the Center for Anti-Violence Education said that while at one point the artists had considered making small changes, they ultimately decided to keep it as it. “It’s a piece of artwork,” she said. “We have to uphold its integrity, even if it gets whitewashed”.

Results of Incident: After the decision by Rite Aid to whitewash the mural, nearly 100 supporters of the mural gathered on March 17, 2000 in front of the drugstore chanting “Save our mural”. A few feet from the protest, a small group of opponents stood by a sigh reading “Good Neighbors Compromise.” One opponent, Theresa Hammel, whose family owns the house adjacent to the mural, said she did not feel comfortable walking her children by the controversial images that she considered violent. Ultimately, despite protest, the mural was painted over.