Fiery attack latest vandalism of LGBT mural in Mission District

Crime scene tape surrounds a mural at Galeria de la Raza in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, June 30, 2015 after the LGBT-themed artwork was damaged for a third time. Ani Rivera, the gallery's executive director, is deciding whether or not to replace the mural, which was scheduled to be displayed through the end of July. less Crime scene tape surrounds a mural at Galeria de la Raza in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, June 30, 2015 after the LGBT-themed artwork was damaged for a third time. Ani Rivera, the gallery's executive ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 37 Caption Close Fiery attack latest vandalism of LGBT mural in Mission District 1 / 37 Back to Gallery

Late Monday night, as San Francisco settled back into its routine after the weekend’s Pride celebrations, Ani Rivera got a jarring call: A mural celebrating LGBT and Latino culture that her art gallery recently installed in the Mission District had been defaced — for the fourth time.

She raced to meet police officers at the mural, which is located at 24th and Bryant streets by the gallery she directs, Galeria de la Raza. She saw firefighters amid a cloud of smoke — this time, the artwork had not been spray-painted but burned. But what hurt her more than the damage was the fear she saw in those gathered around it.

“This is not just about the LGBT community — it is about all of our communities locally here that we represent. It is really challenging to see them in fear and to see them being really vulnerable,” Rivera said Tuesday.

She spoke inside the gallery’s studio, which still smelled of smoke. “This is not acceptable,” she said.

Outside, the damaged mural, which apparently was set ablaze around 11 p.m. Monday, was surrounded by yellow tape. Wood and remnants of the wall littered the ground as passersby examined the damage. Rivera said the group would not be silenced.

“This has been the signature of somebody that’s trying to quiet us and put us back in the closet, and it’s not going to happen, and now more than ever we’re going to come back from this stronger, and say this work matters,” she said.

The priority now, she said, is to provide security for people in the building and a forum for the community to talk about the recent attacks. The gallery will have to replace the wall, she said. The gallery plans to hold a community forum on July 18.

A decision on whether the mural will go back up again has not been made. For now, the gallery is considering leaving the destroyed image up and having artists come by and write positive messages on it.

Concern for safety

“Right now what is really weighing heavy in our minds and thoughts is the security of our neighbors and the security of this building,” she said.

The arson attack comes as only the latest in a string of defacements since the piece — titled “Por Vida” — went up in early June. The artist, Manuel Paul of Los Angeles’ Maricón Collective, depicted two queer couples on opposite ends of the wall-sized artwork with a transgender man in the middle.

The work — a digital print mounted on the wall — immediately prompted a flurry of homophobic comments on social media before it was dedicated during a gathering June 13.

Three days after it went up, someone sprayed blue and red paint over the faces of the mural’s subjects. Gallery workers, undeterred by the vandalism, replaced the mural June 18 with a fresh print.

But three days later, the vandal — or vandals — struck again, this time defiling the art with a meandering scribble of black spray paint. Again, the unrelenting workers moved in and replaced the mural.

San Francisco police said they were looking into the crimes, and Rivera said she’s viewed surveillance videos of the two most recent actions. In the first, two people damaged the image, while the other shows one person attacking the mural as two people walk by nonchalantly. She has a suspicion of who is behind the attacks, but wouldn’t elaborate.

Officer Albie Esparza, a police spokesman, said the suspect in Monday’s arson is a male about 5 feet 9 and 160 pounds who wore a black sweatshirt, black pants, white tennis shoes and white gloves, with his face covered by a black cloth. An accelerant as well as an ignition source were found at the scene, he said.

Galeria de la Raza has pushed social issues through art since its inception in 1970, and the gallery has put up murals at that location for decades. They have been tagged before, but Rivera said the recent vandalism was more targeted and hate-driven. In 2012, a mural about SB1070, Arizona’s law cracking down on undocumented immigrants, was also defaced several times.

But murals have never been burned.

‘It’s heartbreaking’

“It’s kind of a disappointment,” said Jessenia Mendoza, a 22-year-old who works near the mural. “Pride was this weekend and there was a lot of love and acceptance, and to see this here is unfortunate and sad. San Francisco is supposed to be an accepting city. It’s heartbreaking.”

“I think it’s important,” Rivera said, “for our LGBT leaders to think that our work is not done and there’s still a lot work that needs to happen.”

Hamed Aleaziz and Evan Sernoffsky are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. E-mail: haleaziz@sfchronicle.com, esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com.

How to help

Galería de la Raza is accepting donations to help with repairs: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/1392515