PHOENIX — A proposal to have a "Black Lives Matter" mural painted on a downtown Phoenix street has been denied, the city said Wednesday.
Local activists wanted the mural to be drawn on a street in Phoenix to bring awareness to social justice causes.
However, in a letter signed by Phoenix City Manager Ed Zuercher, the city says "based on existing regulations governing allowable markings in the street, as well as overriding concerns with safety, risks, and federal guidelines for markings on streets, the City of Phoenix cannot accommodate your request."
The regulation against street murals has been in place before nationwide protests against racial injustice sparked off this year, but activists were seeking a pilot program with the Phoenix City Council.
One of the proposed locations was in downtown Phoenix near Talking Stick Arena on Third Street between Jefferson and Jackson streets. Other locations include streets near the capitol building or city hall.
The failed proposal would have featured a design with the words "Black Lives Matter" with accomplished civil rights leaders, Martin Luther King Jr., César Estrada Chávez and John Lewis.
Other cities like Chicago, Minneapolis and New York already have similar murals or have approval for a mural.
