Salt Lake City Demolishes Police Violence Murals at Fleet Block [Video]

A once-sacred space in Salt Lake City, where vibrant murals honored victims of police violence—has been demolished, leaving many in the community feeling ignored and heartbroken.

Video

The area, known as Fleet Block, became a local landmark in the years after George Floyd’s death. Painted across the walls of an abandoned city-owned building were 26 murals in shades of red and magenta. They depicted faces like Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others killed during encounters with police. The murals turned the empty lot into a gathering place for protests, memorials, and moments of quiet reflection.

Now, it’s all gone.

City officials recently tore down the building and the murals over the course of several weeks to make room for new housing, businesses, and public green space. While the city had long shared its redevelopment plans with residents, the reality of losing such a meaningful space has hit hard, especially for families whose loved ones were depicted on the walls.

Fleet Block sat on 8.5 acres once used by the city’s transportation fleet. Since 2020, it had evolved into a symbol of social justice in a city where Black residents make up a small percentage of the population. Anonymous artists painted the murals as a tribute to those lost and as a call for police accountability.

City leaders say the demolition was necessary due to the high cost of preserving the structure and health hazards like asbestos in the aging building. They’ve promised that the redevelopment will include three acres of open space and commissioned artwork to continue honoring victims of injustice.

But many in the community feel that something deeper has been lost.

Families who gathered at Fleet Block say it wasn’t just about the art, it was about remembrance, community, and love. For them, the space gave voice to grief and served as a public demand for change. With the murals gone, they worry the stories they told might fade away, too.

Activists and family members have called on the city to stay true to its promise of keeping the legacy alive in the new development. But for those who came to the block to mourn and reflect, the demolition feels like a painful erasure.