The original mural unveiled in March of 2025, was vandalized on MLK Day, with black spray paint covering several faces depicted in the mural.
SAN ANTONIO — A mural honoring victims of police violence on San Antonio’s east side was unveiled again Sunday, weeks after it was vandalized on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Community members, activists and families gathered outside Greater Institutional Faith Church along Martin Luther King Drive for the rededication of the “Say Their Names” mural, which features portraits of 15 people whose deaths advocates say highlight ongoing concerns about police violence.
Organizers said the original mural, created last year, was defaced with black spray paint in January, covering several of the faces.
“Today it feels triumphant that we were able to get this done and get this done quickly and come back stronger,” said one organizer during Sunday’s ceremony.
During the event, attendees read the names of each of the individuals depicted on the wall at the unveiling the restored artwork.
Advocates said the mural was first created to honor victims and remind the community that work toward justice continues.
“We had established this last year to commemorate victims of police violence and send a message that there’s still work to be done,” Ananda Tomas with ACT 4 SA said.
Among those memorialized is Marquise Jones, who was shot by a San Antonio police officer in 2014, after a minor car accident in which he was a passenger.
Family members say Jones lived about a block away from the scene and had begun walking home when the officer opened fire.
“No one told him you need to stay here or whatever, and he proceeded to go down the driveway and the cop pulled his gun and shot at him nine times, hitting him once in the back and killing him instantly,” said Deborah Bush, Jones’ aunt.
Bush said her family has struggled to cope with his death and that the vandalism reopened painful wounds.
“I know evil persists in this world, but I never thought someone would be so mean and nasty to vandalize a wall with someone that these people never did anything to you,” she said.
Ananda Tomas of the advocacy group Act 4 SA, which helped organize the project, said families connected to the mural have experienced a range of emotions since the vandalism — from grief and anger to gratitude after the mural was restored.
“It reminds them that they’ll never be able to hold this loved one again, and that’s always going to be hard, but now they have a place that they can always come back to grieve and see their images,” Thomas said.
Organizers also announced plans to add another portrait to the mural — Ruben Ray Martinez. Sunday marked one year since Martinez was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on South Padre Island.
Supporters say the mural will continue to serve as both a memorial and a place for reflection for families and the wider community.