Councilmember Condemns Theft Of Decoration Honoring BLM, LGBTQ+

LIVERMORE, CA — A Livermore city councilmember is condemning the apparent theft of a public art installation celebrating Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ residents of the city.

Councilmember Trish Munro said a local artist spent 30 hours knitting the piece as part of the city's annual tree sweater festival. The artist took her child to see the decoration two days after it was placed on a tree near Lizzy Fountain, but the tree sweater was gone.

No others had been removed.

Munro, a member of the Livermore City Council Equity and Inclusion Subcomittee, said in a letter to the community that this was not an isolated incident, as she's "heard stories from people who live and work in Livermore that belie our image of being a welcoming city."

She recalled one incident that hit home: the vandalism of the Bankhead Plaza Hanukah menorah in 2016. Others have been questioned while walking down their street and for buying "too much" in a store. Munro has heard stories of discrimination from Muslim, Latina and Black students, she said.

"Any attack on those who seem different or vulnerable diminishes all of us," she wrote. "Until all of us are welcome and included, none of us will be truly free of fear. Through including different voices, we are all strengthened as we share food and traditions, when we have conversation and exchange ideas."

Munro condemned the theft and called on the community to think about what they can do to support all Livermore residents.

"Snipping a few pieces of yarn will not silence the voices of love," she said. "As an individual, I believe in the power of rejecting hate and embracing all of our community members."

Read the full letter.