Cardiff's 'Mona Lisa' diversity mural vandalised Published

Cardiff's 'Mona Lisa' diversity mural vandalised

Wednesday 6th October 2021


A mural painted to promote diversity and inclusion has been vandalised in Butetown, Cardiff.



The 'Mona Lisa' mural is part of the My City, My Shirt project, which aims to help minority communities identify more with Cardiff.


South Wales Police is investigating the vandalism as a hate crime.
"This is absolutely appalling. Shameful. If anyone knows what mindless idiots did this please report," Cardiff City Supporters' Trust tweeted.
The damage to the mural on James Street was reported on Monday, 4 October and is believed to have happened sometime overnight.
Mural
Image caption, White paint has been thrown onto the mural
Inspector Kevin Jones, from the Community Safety Department of South Wales Police, said: "The My City My Shirt mural was painted as part of a community project celebrating Cardiff as a diverse city and is a much-praised piece of art.
"It would appear that white paint has been deliberately thrown onto the mural from the pavement area where there are also splashes of paint.
"Understandably, local residents, the artist and Unify Creative, who commissioned the project, are very upset by what has happened to this mural which represents Cardiff as a proud, welcoming and multi-cultural city."
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Huw Thomas, leader of Cardiff Council, said: "Another symbol of everything that's wonderful about Cardiff is vandalised by a tiny, tiny few."

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Firstly, totally wrong to vandalise stuff like this. Hope they catch him or her.

Secondly , what is British anymore. I watched news a programme in a Leicester on tv the other day. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was like another country.

Thing is you can't even talk anymore about it cause you get called a racist.

Imp just wondering if maybe this isn't as sinister as its being made out to be, perhaps not a racist attack it looks as if whoever has done this has tried to paint an S on the shirt could be a numpty Jack pissed up first week in Uni thought it would be a good idea.
Just a thought as the media always seem to try and find some kind of political angle these days, kids do still just f**k about and do stupid things.

It’s a shite thing to do, whatever their reasons for doing it.

Sad really. Its the society we've created.
No respect for anything.

Firstly, totally wrong to vandalise stuff like this. Hope they catch him or her.

Secondly , what is British anymore. I watched news a programme in a Leicester on tv the other day. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was like another country.

Thing is you can't even talk anymore about it cause you get called a racist.

Hmmm, as ever it's how you talk about it...!

Agree it's absolutely disgusting though, whoever did it!

I was gutted when I saw this.

No matter what your views on the meaning behind the mural, it's a wonderful piece of art that has been lauded nationally.

The message behind it was unity, hence the City shirt, and there are surely very few people who would disagree with that.

In any event, I hope that somebody get's prosecuted for this.

I know the club is a bit skint at the moment but might be a nice, inclusive, gesture for them to pay for repair in the first place and then, hopefully, claim it back from the idiot who gets prosecuted for it.

Firstly, totally wrong to vandalise stuff like this. Hope they catch him or her.

Secondly , what is British anymore. I watched news a programme in a Leicester on tv the other day. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was like another country.

Thing is you can't even talk anymore about it cause you get called a racist.

You can’t assume it’s a him or her. There’s 85 genders remember.

Might be a singular them both.

Imp just wondering if maybe this isn't as sinister as its being made out to be, perhaps not a racist attack it looks as if whoever has done this has tried to paint an S on the shirt could be a numpty Jack pissed up first week in Uni thought it would be a good idea.
Just a thought as the media always seem to try and find some kind of political angle these days, kids do still just f**k about and do stupid things.

That was my immediate thought. White paint. Mmmm

The question is just simply....why?? Like what is the matter with people? Morons whether its a Swansea fan, or someone doing it for racial reasons or just someone doing it for no reason....why??

I like the mural as it was very well done by the artist. Not nice to see what happened

I do hope it was a Jack pissed up. Some of the alternatives are very sad for our city.

WHY,WHY,WHY, NOTHING BUT A LOAD OF BIGGOTED IDIOTS .HOPE THEY GET CAUGHT AND LOCKED UP WITH HARD LABOUR.

Hands up those that have defaced a wall with CCFC in their time.

Crap design, constant barrage of multi culturalism, what's wrong with promoting native Welsh for once, butetown is a shithole for me, but each to there own, would I vandalise this , no, but police have better things to do than Chase someone who chucked a bit of paint on iy

Rum do that..

You have a point to a degree.. when my Grandfather was born there(Loudon Sq) early 1900s, Welsh was the language spoken by a majority there. The people who built the docks and worked there are mostly ignored.. railway men, Engineers, fitters, coal trimmers etc
The media largely only celebrate post 50s Butetown..

I did a wall with CCFC once.. messy business after a night out

..... what's wrong with promoting native Welsh for once .....

..... the people who built the docks and worked there are mostly ignored.. railway men, Engineers, fitters, coal trimmers etc
The media largely only celebrate post 50s Butetown .....

I suppose you mean apart from;

The sculptures Celtic Ring, From Pit to Port, Cargoes, Beastie Benches and Ivor Novello.

All down the bay and celebrating Welsh Culture, Welsh People and the building of the docks. It helps to know your city.

There are many, many more including a statue in Butetown representing Equity, which, is quite poignant nowadays as Equity amongst disparate communities is what is needed BEFORE we even try to tackle Equality.

Crap design, constant barrage of multi culturalism, what's wrong with promoting native Welsh for once, butetown is a shithole for me, but each to there own, would I vandalise this , no, but police have better things to do than Chase someone who chucked a bit of paint on iy

Nobody is saying there is anything wrong with native Welsh, there are innumerable statues around Cardiff celebrating "native" Welsh if you opened your eyes

Similarly there is nothing wrong with celebrating the multi culturalism of Cardiff Docks/Bay.

My father was born and brought up on Clarence Embankment and he always loved where he was from because his mates were of many different creeds and colours. He always said he was shocked when he did his national service about the levels of bigotry shown by people from other areas of Wales and UK towards other colours, he just thought it was how all people lived.

Cardiff had the oldest black community in Britain I believe (from 1910 onwards) so surely by now we can recognise that they are just as much a part of our community and deserve to be celebrated as such.

It's really sad to me that anyone can find fault with a piece of art that promotes unity. Just shows we have a long way to go.

Imp just wondering if maybe this isn't as sinister as its being made out to be, perhaps not a racist attack it looks as if whoever has done this has tried to paint an S on the shirt could be a numpty Jack pissed up first week in Uni thought it would be a good idea.
Just a thought as the media always seem to try and find some kind of political angle these days, kids do still just f**k about and do stupid things.

No matter how hard I try or how hard I squint I can't make an s in any way out of that. Why would you even be clutching at this straw?

..... what's wrong with promoting native Welsh for once .....

..... the people who built the docks and worked there are mostly ignored.. railway men, Engineers, fitters, coal trimmers etc
The media largely only celebrate post 50s Butetown .....

I suppose you mean apart from;

The sculptures Celtic Ring, From Pit to Port, Cargoes, Beastie Benches and Ivor Novello.

All down the bay and celebrating Welsh Culture, Welsh People and the building of the docks. It helps to know your city.

There are many, many more including a statue in Butetown representing Equity, which, is quite poignant nowadays as Equity amongst disparate communities is what is needed BEFORE we even try to tackle Equality.

Er, no I don’t. I specifically said the media, not take a trip down tangent boulevard.

Look like a giant seagull has shit on it tbh

Firstly, totally wrong to vandalise stuff like this. Hope they catch him or her.

Secondly , what is British anymore. I watched news a programme in a Leicester on tv the other day. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was like another country.

Thing is you can't even talk anymore about it cause you get called a racist.

You are so spot on

Imp just wondering if maybe this isn't as sinister as its being made out to be, perhaps not a racist attack it looks as if whoever has done this has tried to paint an S on the shirt could be a numpty Jack pissed up first week in Uni thought it would be a good idea.
Just a thought as the media always seem to try and find some kind of political angle these days, kids do still just f**k about and do stupid things.

That was my immediate thought. White paint. Mmmm

I wondered the same but was worried about saying it in case of an accusation of watering down what appears to be a stupid act ,today's climate is very sensitive, as you say the media has declared it as likley racism ?

Imp just wondering if maybe this isn't as sinister as its being made out to be, perhaps not a racist attack it looks as if whoever has done this has tried to paint an S on the shirt could be a numpty Jack pissed up first week in Uni thought it would be a good idea.
Just a thought as the media always seem to try and find some kind of political angle these days, kids do still just f**k about and do stupid things.

No matter how hard I try or how hard I squint I can't make an s in any way out of that. Why would you even be clutching at this straw?

Mate im not clutching at any straws just making an observation. And unless the shape of an S has changed since i last looked there is clearly what looks like an S on the sleeve of the shirt.

WHY,WHY,WHY, NOTHING BUT A LOAD OF BIGGOTED IDIOTS .HOPE THEY GET CAUGHT AND LOCKED UP WITH HARD LABOUR.

You think someone should be jailed for vandalism? Think you’ve lost a sense of proportion here.

WHY,WHY,WHY, NOTHING BUT A LOAD OF BIGGOTED IDIOTS .HOPE THEY GET CAUGHT AND LOCKED UP WITH HARD LABOUR.

You think someone should be jailed for vandalism? Think you’ve lost a sense of proportion here.

Just a tad OTT (again) from one of the regulars, Jock...

I passed it a couple of days ago and it looked like a spontaneous rather than planned attack using a left over tin of emulsion

I'd like to think the reprobate (or bates) that did it are (a) remorseful and (b) not Bluebird supporters

Just plain stupid and another blot on the good people of that cimmunity

Totally disgusting behaviour. I hope they are caught and dealt with; something mentally wrong with them

Kids I think or jack bastards

Kids I think or jack bastards

Can't see it being 'Jacks' to be fair but more likely pure stupidity and senselessness than an attack on the mural's meaning itself; there are some pretty unthinking/uncaring people out there...

WHY,WHY,WHY, NOTHING BUT A LOAD OF BIGGOTED IDIOTS .HOPE THEY GET CAUGHT AND LOCKED UP WITH HARD LABOUR.

You think someone should be jailed for vandalism? Think you’ve lost a sense of proportion here.

Just a tad OTT (again) from one of the regulars, Jock...

I passed it a couple of days ago and it looked like a spontaneous rather than planned attack using a left over tin of emulsion

I'd like to think the reprobate (or bates) that did it are (a) remorseful and (b) not Bluebird supporters

Just plain stupid and another blot on the good people of that community

Just to qualify my point, if the perp turns out to be a Jack he/she should get the electric chair