Montclair Republicans Demand Pro-Gun Mural, 'Free Expression'

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Over the summer, a group of Montclair students painted an anti-gun violence mural on a NJ Transit overpass. Now, local Republicans want a mural of their own… right next to it.

A spokesperson for the Montclair Republican Club recently told Patch that its members are continuing their push for the right to paint a pro-Second Amendment mural underneath the train trestle on Chestnut Street.

Their effort comes after students at Montclair High School – who have been trying to revitalize an existing Chestnut Street mural for years – finally got approval from authorities. Gaining traction after the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the MHS students launched a GoFundMe campaign that raised more than $1,600 to restore the aging mural, which also contained an anti-gun violence message.

The students pointed out that the mural project hinged on approval from NJ Transit, which owns the overpass. But after successful discussions with authorities – including approval from the Montclair Board of Education – the effort finally came together.

The new mural features the words: "Never Again."

• See related article: Gun Debate Meets Art In Montclair (Battle Of The Murals Begins)

After the mural’s completion, the Montclair Republican Club, which has been a vocal supporter of 2nd Amendment rights, offered high praise for the artwork as political speech.

However, the club also announced that they’ve launched plans to create their own mural which “highlights the importance of the 2nd Amendment of the United States Constitution.”

According to President John Van Wagner, the students’ mural depicts commonly-recognized gun control themes and promotes a single viewpoint on an important political issue.

And that’s why the club wants their own space on the adjacent wall of the same overpass, he says.

“Because NJ Transit is a state-owned public transportation system, NJ Transit has an ethical and legal obligation to afford free expression, equal protection, and access to opposing viewpoints,” Van Wagner wrote in a letter to President and CEO Kevin Corbett.

“Indeed, to restrict state-owned facilities for use in promoting a single political viewpoint would violate federal and state constitutional protections against discrimination,” Van Wagner proposed.

Van Wagner cited Chapter 83 of the agency’s regulations governing the Conduct and Safety of the Public in the Use of NJ Transit Equipment and Facilities, arguing that limiting murals to a single political viewpoint would violate federal and state constitutional protections against discrimination.

“As it happens, our club wishes to bring forth an alternative viewpoint to that which has already been approved, displayed, and promoted by the artists of the mural and by NJ Transit,” Van Wagner wrote. “Please let us know, therefore, how we can work with NJ Transit to secure the appropriate permissions and/or permits to commission and display a mural of similar size, scope, and prominence as the existing mural.”

A NJ Transit spokesperson told Patch on Monday that the agency hasn’t yet received the letter from the Montclair Republican Club.

As with any other organization wishing to post a mural on NJ Transit property, the request will go through the application process, the spokesperson said.

• See related article: Menendez, Sherrill Visit Montclair, Demand 'Common Sense' Gun Laws

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