‘White Lives Matter’ Banner Discovered in Union City Taken Down

A “White Lives Matter” banner found in Union City Saturday morning was later removed, the city said.

The city said the banner was placed illegally on public property at the corner of Smith and Dyer streets.

“The City is disgusted by this despicable act of vandalism that has occurred on the heels of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week and on the weekend of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday that celebrates the life and achievements of this important civil rights leader,” the city said in a statement.

Union City Mayor Carol Durta-Vernaci said the city will not tolerate acts of vandalism, especially in the wake of recent events in Washington D.C.

“Any kind of racism in Union City is unwelcome and will not be tolerated,” she said. “It is alarming for anybody to put up a ‘white lives matter’ banner because it connotates the racism going on in this country with events happening, trying to take over the Capitol.”

On a weekend celebrating the life of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., local civil rights leaders said the incident is a reminder that there’s still plenty of work to do when it comes to achieving racial equality.

“It’s unbelievable that in this day and age, after 50 years, they still believe that,” said Freddye M. Davis, president of NAACP South Hayward and Alameda County. “This systemic racism has got to go.”

A police report was filed, the city said.

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