Bilingual 'Black Lives Matter' street message highlights Montreal artists
Project covers an entire block of city's Gay Village neighbourhood
The global protests spurred by George Floyd's death in Minneapolis last May took a colourful form in Montreal Wednesday, as some 20 artists painted a giant "Black Lives Matter" message down a city street.
The project, which covers an entire block of the Gay Village neighbourhood, was inspired by those in other cities but has taken on a distinctive Montreal flair.
Organizer Carla Beauvais said in order to get permission from the city, the group had to agree to make the message mostly in French, with a smaller English translation underneath.
Dans le Village pour échanger avec les artistes et le collectif Never Was Average qui donnent vie à la fresque géante «La vie des noir•es compte» qui tapisse la rue Ste-Catherine et qui la rendent si unique au monde! Merci au <a href="https://twitter.com/GalaDynastie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GalaDynastie</a> et au <a href="https://twitter.com/VillageGaiMTL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VillageGaiMTL</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackLivesMatter?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackLivesMatter</a> <a href="https://t.co/kKCfcHCb0a">pic.twitter.com/kKCfcHCb0a</a>
—@Val_PlanteHowever, she sees the decision as a positive one, because it highlights the diversity of the movement to denounce racism and inequality.
Beauvais said the work was created by community groups and local artists, who are being encouraged to express themselves through the colourful designs they paint within the letters.
She hopes it will help start a conversation about the disparities that still exist in society and how to change them.