While the protests in Los Angeles escalated to violence and vandalism over the weekend, murals honoring Kobe Bryant and his late daughter, Gianna, have largely remained untouched. As Vanessa Bryant shared on social media on Monday, even the one mural that was threatened by fire was saved from damage.
Bryant took to her Instagram story to share a screenshot of a news report showing a burning building in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles as firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze.
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However, as the news reporter explained, a mural of the Lakers legend -- who died in helicopter crash along with with his 13-year-old daughter and seven others on Jan. 26 -- remained intact on the side of a neighboring building.
Bryant went on to share several other murals across Los Angeles that have been respected amid the increase in vandalism.
Vanessa also shared some love for another Instagram page that posted a photo of a Kobe mural on a building that was left untagged. The post read, "They know Kobe is off limits."
Despite the large amount of graffiti done during the protests in Los Angeles, all Kobe & Gianna murals have been completely untouched.
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 1, 2020
Respect. pic.twitter.com/VwqsK1DykR
Meanwhile, Bryant has been weighing in on the nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism -- sparked in part by the killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25.
In an emotional post on Instagram late Saturday night, Bryant opened up about the recent protests and shared a photo of Kobe sporting a shirt reading "I can't breathe," a statement Floyd uttered before his death.
"My husband wore this shirt years ago and yet here we are again.💔#ICANTBREATHE," Vanessa wrote alongside the pic, which was taken in 2014. Kobe wore the shirt to protest the death of Eric Garner, a black man who was killed in New York after a police officer placed his arm around Garner's neck, during which he also uttered "I can't breathe."
"Life is so fragile. Life is so unpredictable. Life is too short," Bryant continued. "Let’s share and embrace the beautiful qualities and similarities we all share as people. Drive out hate. Teach respect and love for all at home and school. Spread LOVE. Fight for change- register to VOTE. Do not use innocent lives lost as an excuse to loot. BE AN EXAMPLE OF THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE. #BLACKLIVESMATTER ❤️."
For more on the protests against racism and police brutality that have swept the world, see the video below.
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