Dem Lawmaker Praises Removal Of Iryna Zarutska Mural, Calls It ‘Divisive’

Rhode Island State Rep. David Morales, a Democrat, is under fire for claiming that a mural of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee whose brutal murder at the hands of a career criminal sparked national outrage, “divisive.” The mural was a partially completed portrait of Zarutska painted by artist Ian Gaudreau on the exterior wall of The Dark Lady, an LGBT nightclub located in downtown Providence. The artwork was part of a national campaign to memorialize Zarutska. Work on the project began on Monday, March 30, though city officials immediately moved to axe the plan due to “community backlash.” The owners of the Dark Lady soon complied and announced that the project would be discontinued and removed. This was further confirmed in a separate statement from Gaudreau. Morales, who is also a can