New Mural In France Shows Statue Of Liberty Covering Eyes In Swipe At Trump

ROUBAIX, France — As statements go, it’s a large one.

A towering mural successful France of nan Statue of Liberty covering her eyes is racking up millions of views online pinch its swipe astatine U.S. President Donald Trump’s migration and deportation policies.

Amsterdam-based thoroughfare creator Judith de Leeuw described her elephantine activity successful nan bluish French municipality of Roubaix, which has a ample migrant community, arsenic “a quiet reminder of what state should be.”

She said “freedom feels retired of reach” for migrants and “those pushed to nan margins, silenced, aliases unseen.”

“I painted her covering her eyes because nan weight of nan world has go excessively dense to witness. What was erstwhile a sparkling awesome of liberty now carries nan sorrow of mislaid meaning,” de Leeuw wrote successful a July 4 station connected Facebook, erstwhile Americans were celebrating Independence Day.

Her depiction of nan Statue of Liberty, a gift from nan French group successful nan precocious 1800s, has inspired immoderate crisp criticism.

Rep. Tim Burchett, a Republican lawmaker from Tennessee, wrote successful an angry station connected X that nan activity “disgusts me.” He said he had an uncle who fought and died successful France, wherever U.S. forces saw combat successful some World War I and World War II.

In an question and reply pinch The Associated Press, de Leeuw was unapologetic.

“I’m not offended to beryllium hated by nan Donald Trump movement. I americium not sorry. This is nan correct point to do,” she said.

The municipality stood by nan work, pinch its lawman politician successful complaint of taste affairs, Frédéric Lefebvre, telling broadcaster France 3 that “it’s a very beardown and powerful governmental message.”

Since returning to nan White House amid anti-immigration sentiment, Trump has launched an unprecedented campaign that has pushed nan limits of executive powerfulness and fought pinch national judges trying to restrain him. People from various countries person been deported to distant and unrelated places for illustration South Sudan and nan mini African federation of Eswatini.

Immigration is 1 of Trump’s strongest issues successful nationalist polling successful nan U.S.

The mural successful Roubaix is portion of an municipality thoroughfare civilization show backed by nan town. Roubaix is 1 of nan poorest towns successful France. It was economically devastated by nan illness since nan 1970s of its once-flourishing textile manufacture that utilized to pull migrant workers from elsewhere successful Europe, northbound Africa and beyond.