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'What about the homeless?' Backlash at Jacinda Ardern mural

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Thu, 23 May 2019, 1:46PM
The Jacinda Ardern mural in Northern Melbourne. (Photo / Supplied)
The Jacinda Ardern mural in Northern Melbourne. (Photo / Supplied)

'What about the homeless?' Backlash at Jacinda Ardern mural

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Thu, 23 May 2019, 1:46PM

A larger-than-life mural depicting Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern embracing a Muslim woman has been completed, but its appearance in Melbourne has caused controversy.

The thought-provoking artwork was finished on a silo in Brunswick, north Melbourne on Wednesday.

Melbourne artist Loretta Lizzio was chosen to paint the mural after more than $11,000 was raised through a Gofundme account.

View this post on Instagram

Work in progress. Photographed by @slocummatthew

A post shared by Loretta Lizzio (@loretta_lizzio) on May 15, 2019 at 2:49am PDT

While organisers say the multicultural suburb of Brunswick was an appropriate place to put the mural, its creation has sparked fierce backlash, with more than 15,000 people signing a petition ordering its removal claiming it wasn't relevant to Australia.

Some believe the money could have been spent better elsewhere with people taking to social media to express their views.

$11,000 can go towards actual people, help the homeless and the hungry... not a mural.." one person commented on a Facebook post.

"All I am seeing is a lot of money being put into the wrong things, it should be helping people, and the earth.." another person commented.

Others were more damning in their stance over the mural.

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