BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - An activist has admitted vandalizing a plaque associated with a mural in Vermont’s largest city that commemorates the European discovery of what is now known as Lake Champlain.
The Burlington Free Press reports that Albert Petrarca visited the paper’s newsroom on Monday after he had spray painted “Off the Wall” on the mural demanding that people associated with the mural disassociate themselves from it.
Petrarca says the mural ignores 12,000 years of indigenous civilization prior to the 1609 arrival on the lake of French explorer Samuel de Champlain.
Later Monday, the office of Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger issued a statement saying the city is committed to inclusion and diversity and officials will review the issues raised by the protest.
In the mural, Champlain is depicted with an unidentified Native American.
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Information from: The Burlington Free Press, https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com
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