'Find another place to live': Calgary mayor condemns violent threats to BLM community group

According to 660 News Calgary, Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi had strong words for people making comments full of hate for a community group who passed a proposal to the city government for the creation of a series of murals with Black Lives Matter themes.

The particular mural people are upset about would replace the current “Giving Wings to the Dream” mural at 1 St. SE and 7 Av. in Calgary. The community group, named "The Pink Flamingo," has since put plans to replace the mural on hold due to the extremely negative response it has received online.

Nenshi said Thursday talking about the subject, ““I couldn’t care less what you think about that mural, you have no right, no right whatsoever on this city to engage in that kind of threatening behaviour. And if that’s how you feel find another place to live.”

“What I don’t appreciate is the people who have used this as an excuse to fight the issue of anti-racism and I don’t appreciate the racists who have used this as an excuse to push their own views,” Nenshi went on to say.

The city itself is very divided on this issue. Several local organizations published a jointly-written letter supporting the murals, and publishing some of the offensive comments on social media. Others feel that BLM is too often associated with violence and other social ills, and shouldn’t be supported.

Nenshi himself feels that, while closeted racists are possibly trying to use this issue to their advantage and using it as an opportunity to incite hatred, painting over the current mural is not a good idea. He claims to be open to other suggestions as to where the potential mural or murals could go that would be better ideas.