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LAPD Mural Criticized ~ Boyle Heights

10:29 AM PDT on March 20, 2008

From today's Los Angeles Times:

The tile mural was meant to depict a quaint Sunday in Boyle Heights. Many angry residents say it makes their neighborhood out to be a crime-ridden dump filled with fat women, stray dogs, beer-swilling men and illegal street vendors. And don't get them started about the piñata.

The artist who did the mural is Sandow Birk, who is an internationally recognized artist from Los Angeles. Ironically, his wikipedia page says "Stereotypes about... the brutality of L.A. police officers is often part of a work."

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