“Wrong and distasteful:' Someone vandalized this mural of Antwon Rose in downtown Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH — Antwon Rose is memorialized in a Black Lives Matter mural in downtown Pittsburgh.

He would've turned 20 years old Sunday.

On Monday, the same artists responsible for the work of art were out repainting it after someone wrote the word "thug" over Rose's face.

And the other words on other parts of the mural can't even be shown on TV.

“It’s very wrong and distasteful for someone to even write that over someone. It just sends the wrong message just with Antwon Rose himself,” said Kiara Pratt from the North Side.

Rose was shot and killed while running away from a traffic stop in 2018 by former East Pittsburgh police Officer Michael Rosfeld.

It's happening everywhere.

In New York, police said a man threw red paint over the Black Lives Matter sign in front of Trump Tower and ran off.

In Boston, surveillance video shows someone spray-painting over the sign in the street.

Two people in California are facing charges after police said they were caught on a cellphone video painting over the yellow Black Lives Matter letters with black paint.

We reached out to Pittsburgh police to see if people will face charges for vandalizing the mural.

We have yet to hear back.

One of the artists involved with the Pittsburgh mural, who wanted to remain anonymous, provided us the following statement:

“The BIPOC community of Pittsburgh should not have to address incidents like these, as these incidents should never happen. Incidents like these are reminders that there is no proper way to express your self or protest as a BIPOC, while living in our society. Even when in the form of art and muralism, the voices, names, and identities of Black individuals will be attacked and disgraced. The black communities of America are tired. They are stretched thin emotionally and physically. When there are beautiful moments of artistic creation, our black communities should not have to worry about incidents like these. If Pittsburgh wishes to hold the title of a “Most Liveable City”, it must protect the voices of all it’s peoples. Black names, faces, and identities should be able to occupy a city in a liveable way that allows them to live as they are and as they will be. We should not be having this conversation.”

Mural painted on downtown wall along Allegheny River will stay, for now Mural painted on downtown wall along Allegheny River will stay, for now

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