Giannis Protest Mural Planned for Bay View Bar
Mural is designed to keep focus on protest marches.
A bar known for its focus on soccer will soon be adorned with a large mural honoring a basketball superstar and the George Floyd protest movement.
Joe Katz, owner of The Highbury Pub at 2322 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., will turn over the second story of the building’s facade to artists Jeff Redmon and Ruben Alcantar to paint a large mural.
Redmon designed the mural. And Alcantar will paint it. Alcantar has been involved in a number of the new protest murals and works at Black Rabbit Tattoo Collective on the building’s second floor.
The plan is to paint Milwaukee Bucks star and reigning NBA most valuable player Giannis Antetokounmpo walking with teammate and older brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo and younger brother and recent high school graduate Alex Antetokounmpo. The word “RESPECT” will be added in the upper right-hand corner above a series of windows.
The three brothers, who were joined by other Bucks teammates at the march on June 6th, are pictured wearing “I Can’t Breathe” t-shirts.
The basketball players joined protest leader Frank Nitty and others on the 27th Street viaduct as the group marched towards Downtown. The connnection between Nitty and the players was made through team chaplain Kenneth Lock II who has regularly helped lead protest marches.
“It means a lot to the city to see you,” said Nitty to Antetokounmpo in announcing the surprise in a Facebook live video. He praised Giannis for helping change the narrative around black people in Milwaukee. Giannis said he was there in support of his city and justice.
The Milwaukee Bucks led their own march the next day.
Katz is fundraising to pay for the cost of the mural, estimated at $2,500. He is accepting donations via Venmo to Joe-Katz-16.
And while Giannis dominates the headlines, Bucks backup guard Sterling Brown has first-hand knowledge of police brutality and was present both times players marched with protesters.
Brown has a pending lawsuit against the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee Police Department for an incident in which he was tased, stepped on and arrested after parking illegally in a Walgreens parking lot. The parking lot Brown was arrested in is at the south end of the bridge the players greeted the marchers on.
He released a Players’ Tribune article on Thursday detailing the need not to be silenced. He describes the $400,000 settlement offer from the city in the piece as a move to silence, but city officials never expected Brown to accept the offer. It was presented as a move to limit attorney’s fees should the case go to trial.
Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales previously apologized for the department’s actions. “The department conducted an investigation into the incident, which revealed members acted inappropriately and those members were recently disciplined,” said the chief in May 2018. Mayor Tom Barrett has also apologized. Ald. Robert Bauman said in September 2019 there is unanimous agreement among city elected officials that Brown was treated poorly.
Brown’s attorney Mark Thomsen previously told Urban Milwaukee that the city admitting guilt is an “absolute condition” of any settlement. But the $400,000 offer and most other police-related settlements don’t include an admission of guilt.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits, all detailed here.
More about the 2020 Racial Justice Protests
- Evers Reflects on Year of Pandemic, Protests - Shawn Johnson - Dec 28th, 2020
- The Year of the National Guard - Jenny Peek - Dec 28th, 2020
- Baldwin Questions U.S. Marshall’s Role in Tosa Protests - Isiah Holmes - Dec 19th, 2020
- Op Ed: Vote No on COPS Grant - Markasa Tucker - Dec 18th, 2020
- People’s Revolution Marks 200 Days of Protest - Graham Kilmer - Dec 15th, 2020
- Supervisor Clancy Applauds Activists on 200th Day of Protests - Sup. Ryan Clancy - Dec 14th, 2020
- The “Molotov Cocktail” That Wasn’t - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 23rd, 2020
- City Hall: Police Chief, Alderman Fight Over Use of Canines - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 23rd, 2020
- Will BLM Movement Sway State Voters? - Bridgit Bowden - Oct 20th, 2020
- City Hall: Community Groups Propose Changes - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 19th, 2020
Read more about 2020 Racial Justice Protests here
More about the Sterling Brown Case
- City Hall: Council Keeps Delaying on Sterling Brown Settlement - Jeramey Jannene - Jan 11th, 2021
- Rep. Brostoff Statement on Police Union Smears Against City Attorney Tearman Spencer - State Rep. Jonathan Brostoff - Nov 17th, 2020
- City Hall: Sterling Brown Payout Still Being Debated - Jeramey Jannene - Nov 17th, 2020
- City Hall: Bucks Player, City Reach $750,000 Settlement - Jeramey Jannene - Nov 9th, 2020
- Giannis Protest Mural Planned for Bay View Bar - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 2nd, 2020
- Court Watch: Police Officer Denies Stepping on Sterling Brown - Gretchen Schuldt - Feb 19th, 2020
- The Sterling Brown Case: More Details on Tasing of Bucks Player - Gretchen Schuldt - Nov 21st, 2019
- The Sterling Brown Case: ‘Could Have Been Dead People in Walgreens.’ - Gretchen Schuldt - Nov 11th, 2019
- City Attorney candidate Tearman Spencer releases statement on Sterling Brown case - Tearman Spencer - Oct 11th, 2019
- City Hall: Council Okays Settlement to Sterling Brown - Jeramey Jannene - Sep 4th, 2019
Read more about Sterling Brown Case here