Mural of Iryna Zarutska Removed After Public Criticism

A mural of Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who was killed while riding a train in August, was removed in Rhode Island after public criticism. 

The Details: The mural was being painted on the backside of The Dark Lady, an LGBTQ+ club in downtown Providence. It received criticism from community members and city leaders for being funded by Tesla CEO Elon Musk (Lean Right bias) and social media personality Andrew Tate (Right). Providence Mayor Brett Smiley called the mural "misguided" and "divisive," saying that while the murder was "a devastating tragedy," the "isolating intent" of those funding the mural "does not represent Providence." Mural artist Ian Gaudreau said he was "saddened" about the removal and that his goal was to "humanize Iryna."

A New Mural: Francois Karam, co-owner of Opa Restaurant nearby, reached out to Gaudreau and offered for the mural to be painted on his restaurant instead. Karam, a Lebanese immigrant, said he related to Zarutska's story and saw the mural as "an opportunity to support a fellow immigrant." The Providence Journal (Center) wrote the new mural is being funded by Karam, who paid Gaudreau "a symbolic $1 for the commission."

For Context: In September 2025, Intercom CEO Eoghan McCabe said he was "offering $500k in $10k grants to paint murals of the face of Iryna Zarutska in prominent US city locations." Musk and Tate responded to the post saying they'd each contribute an additional $1 million to the campaign.

How the Media Covered It: Local Providence outlets split on which narrative they emphasized. WJAR10 (Center) focused on criticism for the mural, quoting a Dark Lady clubgoer saying, "Where are all the murals for everyone that died for Black Lives Matter?" WPRI12 (Center) focused on Karam saying the new mural was "not political" but "an homage to a fallen immigrant." Fox News (Right) described the removal as part of "woke blowback." The article heavily quoted Gaudreau, including him saying his freedom of expression and freedom of speech had been "stifled." The Independent (Lean Left) framed its coverage within the funding coming from Musk and Tate, but included equal viewpoints from Smiley, Gaudreau and The Dark Lady team in the article.

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