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Mural of activist Greta Thunberg in Dublin city centre vandalised

The mural is painted on a wall on Chancery Street.

A LARGE MURAL of activist Greta Thunberg painted on a wall in Dublin city centre has been vandalised. 

The mural of the 18-year-old environmental activist from Sweden is painted on the side of a building on Chancery Street. 

The painting, by artist Emma Blake, shows Thunberg with a speech bubble and the wording “The world is waking up and change is coming” written inside it. 

MEP Ciarán Cuffe this afternoon tweeted a photo of the mural after it had been vandalised, with the words “Slut X George Soros Slut” painted across it. 

Soros, a billionaire who made his fortune in hedge funds, has donated heavily to liberal causes through the years. 

“It is appalling that the mural has been vandalised. Hopefully it can be repainted, and I’ve reached out to the artist to help if I can,” Cuffe said. 

“Climate change is real, and we all need to take action,” he said. 

Rolling News Video / YouTube

Cuffe added: “Disfiguring the mural by focusing abuse on a young woman who has been a passionate advocate for change is appaling.” 

Dublin City Council has been contacted for comment. 

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96 Comments
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    Mute Rachel O' Meara
    Favourite Rachel O' Meara
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 2:57 PM

    I’m definitely not a Greta fan but saying that I’m also not a fan of vandalism. The language used is appalling and the mark of someone who I suspect wouldn’t be the brightest crayon in the box.

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    Mute Biscuits Patinkin
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 3:45 PM

    @Rachel O’ Meara: yeah she’s so terribly annoying with her utterly justified cause, and non violent protests, and trying to save humanity from annihilation.

    225
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    Mute
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 4:16 PM

    @Rachel O’ Meara: seeing as George Soros is mentioned on the mural I’d suspect the gobsheen who vandalised it was either an anti Vaxer or anti masker. Therefore is definitely not the fizziest drink in the fridge

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    Mute Derek Walsh
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 4:30 PM

    @Rachel O’ Meara: Her hypocrisy? Care to elaborate. She’s barely 18. She’s dedicated her life to this caused and she seems to be all in. What hypocrisy exactly are you talking about?

    63
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    Mute Will
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 4:30 PM

    @Biscuits Patinkin: She’s a teenager who threw a very long and very public tantrum. What exactly has changed since Greta arrived on the scene?

    110
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    Mute Derek Walsh
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 5:06 PM

    @Will: It’s hardly her fault if nothing changes. She’s not in power. All she can do is “throw a tantrum” on behalf of a generation whose future has been stolen.

    56
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    Mute David Shiels
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 7:19 PM

    @Biscuits Patinkin: too true

    3
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    Mute Pauline Gallagher
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    Mar 4th 2021, 11:18 AM

    @Biscuits Patinkin: Rachel doesnt have to be a Greta fan. Not everyone has to like her, ok? It doesnt mean we dont support environmental causes, which, by the way, were well documented long before she became self elected spokesperson for it.

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    Mute Pauline Gallagher
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    Mar 4th 2021, 11:20 AM

    @Derek Walsh: Would that be the same generation that are the biggest consumers of new technology and are the most responsible for littering and generally not giving a flying F?

    5
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    Mute David Linehan
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 2:57 PM

    The weirdo conspiracy theorists among us have most defiantly come to the fore. The rise of Trumpism /QAnon prevalent here now. Absolute fruitcakes.

    339
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    Mute Peter Dowling
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 3:12 PM

    @David Linehan: QAmadàns in Ireland.

    199
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    Mute Merlin Lancelot
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 5:00 PM

    @David Linehan: go drink coca cola ( who told employees to be less white) and March against Mr.potato head gender.

    107
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    Mute Pseud O'Nym
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 5:02 PM

    @David Linehan: looks like “there” work alright!

    20
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    Mute Spongetron
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 5:58 PM

    @Merlin Lancelot: the way to oppose political correctness is believing madhat lunatic conspiracy theories? I’m missing the logic here

    21
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    Mute Football in the Groin
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 3:02 PM

    This is news?

    215
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    Mute Biscuits Patinkin
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 3:45 PM

    That’s your comment?

    78
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    Mute Football in the Groin
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 4:33 PM

    @Biscuits Patinkin: Sure is, well spotted!

    68
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    Mute Merlin Lancelot
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 4:57 PM

    @Football in the Groin: George Soros is all you need to know

    11
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    Mute JustBEERbarry
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 7:16 PM

    @Merlin Lancelot: go take a breath of clean fresh air. It will help you.

    3
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    Mute William Tallon
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 3:00 PM

    She’s been warning us for years now that the writing was on the wall. Looks like she was right after all…

    229
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    Mute Pauline Gallagher
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    Mar 4th 2021, 11:27 AM

    Big deal. Its a mural of a kid who shouldnt even be seen as some special being, its not a national monument to someone really important to Irish history, so big deal. There are more important things to worry about, just paint over the offensive language and get on with it.

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    Mute Rochelle
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 3:14 PM

    The obsession and paranoia the far right have with Soros is actually hilarious.

    151
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    Mute Rebecca BarrettNp
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 3:43 PM

    @Rochelle: Add to Soros young women, the type of individual who defaced this wall is lashing out due to severe insecurities within their own lives.

    57
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    Mute Merlin Lancelot
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 4:59 PM

    @Rochelle: George Soros is about as evil ad you can get, sunshine

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    Mute Padraig O'Shea
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 10:06 PM

    @Spongetron: gullible muppets like u that believe every bit of woke nonsense u hear on tv

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    Mute Spongetron
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 11:08 PM

    @Padraig O’Shea: I’m anything but “woke”. I call out out nonsense when I see it, be it from the left or the right, and there’s plenty of nonsense to call out from both

    5
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    Mute KSham
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 2:52 PM

    Not surprised really. It’s the MO of the insecure sad-case

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    Mute Ryan O'Rourke
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 2:46 PM

    Classy

    107
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    Mute Conor Noonan
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 3:12 PM

    How dare you. !!!!!!

    111
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    Mute Darren Anthony Corr
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 4:34 PM

    Graffiti gets graffitied and it makes news?

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    Mute Darren Anthony Corr
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 5:11 PM

    @JustMeHere:
    Facts

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    Mute Gary Creaven
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 5:10 PM

    I’m sooo fed up of listening to stories of this frustrated young wan that needs to get a life. As for a mural pleeeease. Give me patience….

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    Mute Ronnie Mhelan
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 6:23 PM

    @Gary Creaven: Says the 60 year old aul fella furiously pounding his keyboard while getting all hot and bothered by stories about teenage girls.

    26
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    Mute Bryan Mc Namara
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 3:47 PM

    Is it just me, or is it always the commentators with fake names and made up handles that spout the most awful comments here? Doubt they’d comment as much if they showed their real names.

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    Mute David Bohane
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 6:39 PM

    @Diarmaid Mac Aonghusa: I made my profile private because of loons going around trying to collect information that was personal, if I had bothered to creep around your profile I’m sure I could find something about you but I am able to respond to comments I agree or disagree on without doing so.

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    Mute Nicholas Grubb
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 6:09 PM

    Princess of the Virtue Signalers. Not a shred of a suggestion as to what should be done. And no, it can’t all be solved by wind power and solar, two technologies being massively pushed by the fossil fuel corporates, knowing full well they are going to have us over the metaphorical oil barrel for filling in the big gaps. When some young one or indeed some presently spineless politician starts talking about mass temperate zone adoption of Generation 4, modular nuclear, we can start listening, but I am afraid it is going to be too late. http://www.bene.ie
    The “wind is best” countries already have the most expensive electricity in the EU and now we are being threatened by the ESRI gang that if we don’t stop objecting to more grid all over the place, our power is going to more than double in price.

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    Mute Fred spins kdb
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 6:18 PM

    @Nicholas Grubb: still bad form to vandalise the mural, all the same.

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    Mute JustMeHere
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 8:23 PM

    @Nicholas Grubb: do you normally go around mocking autistic teenagers?

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    Mute Sense of Doubt
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 9:19 PM

    @JustMeHere: Which is why she was put forward in the first place. An attempt to avoid criticism and valid questioning due to her profile and condition. Not working anymore as she is now an adult.

    Her “how dare you” hissy fit did her a lot of harm.

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    Mute Padraic O Sullivan
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 3:17 PM

    Those who vandalised it will be delighted with the article and the photo.

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    Mute Max Bailey
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 3:22 PM

    @Padraic O Sullivan: precisely. There was no need to show the vandalism.

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    Mute David Shiels
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 7:18 PM

    You notice Greta never goes to China or India to protest at the real wrong doers.

    57
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    Mute Sense of Doubt
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 4:50 PM

    It is like the broken window theory. Once there is one instance of graffiti on a wall as sure as night follows day it will attract more and more. This is the case here. The wall should be whitewashed and returned to its original pristine condition. This should prevent the build up starting all over again.
    Since when was graffiti news? You just write something on a wall and the Journal will cover it. It seems very easy to get on the News these days.

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    Mute Robert
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 2:48 PM

    When I saw it on RTÉ last night I had a premonition that this would unfortunately happen. People are so ignorant.

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    Mute Biscuits Patinkin
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 3:46 PM

    It was you, wasn’t it Rob.

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    Mute JG
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 3:20 PM

    Putting it there in the first place was going to be a challenge to anyone who is of the conspiracy/anti science persuasion.

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    Mute Luan Willis
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 2:58 PM

    @JustBEERbarry: their there they’re…

    33
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    Mute JustBEERbarry
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 7:15 PM

    @Luan Willis: you must not have seen the photograph from Saturdays protest, two of the ladies had hoodies on that said RTE HAVE SOLD THERE SOULS. Not my spelling, theirs. I can read, write and understand English.
    It was widely reported and retweeted and initially published by Mark Tighe, a Sunday Times journalist so why was my comment deleted!?!?!

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    Mute David Harold
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 3:46 PM

    Looks like the handy work of Gemtrails or her ilk.

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    Mute A -AFC
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 6:01 PM

    Not to dimish that this is pure vandalism, but am I the only one that see issue with using spray cans that release toxic gases to paint a picture of an eco lobbyist?

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    Mute Simon Carroll
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 4:42 PM

    Amazing, all you here from a lot of older people is that the youth of today are lazy, coddled, don’t make an effort, expect things handed to them, constantly getting triggered etc yet a lot of that older generation that really fooped up the planet and environment over the last 50 years are instantly triggered by a teenager being passionate and doing something about highlighting the state of the world the previous generations have left the youth of today with to solve and either insist that Climate Change and Global warming aren’t real or not a serious issue and Gretta and people like her should be silenced.
    Regardless of what she says or who funds or promotes her etc it’s a sad reflection that it takes people like her to highlight just how bad the situation is or could be and still there’s no real action from the people with the power or standing to actually do something about it and not just another photo op and yet you have fully grown adults insulting a teenager because they either disagree or don’t care because it’s not going to be them that has to deal with the consequences 20/30/40 years from now. What happened to trying to make life better for the generation that comes after you??

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    Mute billy bound
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 3:53 PM

    There’s a lot of hatred in Ireland.
    Supposed to be a friendly bunch.

    38
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    Mute Sinéad O'Brien
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 3:46 PM

    The vandal lost their argument the moment they used a derogatory word to describe her. Really is that the only word they could squeeze out of their little brain to show they disagree, small minded as usual

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    Mute Carol Conway
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 4:34 PM

    Some serious fragile masculinity there.

    23
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    Mute Kevin Coyle
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 4:55 PM

    Banksy wouldn’t even stand a chance in Dublin ffs!

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    Mute Marie Broomfield
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 4:39 PM

    when spray painting walls was valdalism!

    15
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    Mute Julian Friesel
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 4:21 PM

    @Instabogan: conspiracist confirmed.

    12
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    Mute Mary Nugent
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 3:36 PM

    Green paint.

    11
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    Mute Terry Tibbs
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 3:56 PM

    Didnt take long, I hope that’s water based paint.

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    Mute Concerned Citizen
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 5:25 PM

    The artist re-Gretas not putting the mural higher up out of the other artists I mean vandals reach.

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    Mute GinandJetfuel
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 4:07 PM

    @Instabogan: so you are favour of the vandalism of the mural I guess?

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    Mute Joseph Duggan
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 6:12 PM

    Who ever did that is trumpite

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    Mute Phil Schueler
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 6:35 PM

    BOOM! Nice one, man. Took the words right out of my mouth.

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    Mute Declan Moore
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 10:28 PM

    Looks like acid rain got to her!

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    Mute Fran Proins
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 5:34 PM

    We need an Irish Banksy to go around painting on walls.

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    Mute Sense of Doubt
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 9:13 PM

    @Fran Proins: We have no shortage of aspiring Banksy’s everywhere you look. They constantly add and comment to one another’s ‘work’ as happened in this case.

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    Mute Biscuits Patinkin
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 10:06 PM

    @Fran Proins: Bancsaí

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    Mute Sara
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    Mar 4th 2021, 1:43 PM

    @Biscuits Patinkin: Haha yeah comments like those have a certain bang of ”I don’t want to be reminded of the man-made destruction bringing about our impending doom but.. ” about them!

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    Mute Paul Conaghan
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    Mar 3rd 2021, 11:36 PM

    Don’t agree with vandalism, I would of just ignored it.

    1
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