AUGUSTA — Hundreds of people packed the hallways of the Labor Department building this afternoon to express outrage at Gov. Paul LePage’s plans to remove a mural depicting labor history.
The crowd was far too large to fit into the building’s reception area where the mural is displayed.
Additional Photos
Robert Shetterly, president of the Maine Union of Visual Artists, said the painting is not partisan but tells the story of Maine’s people.
“it’s a history that gives us the courage to struggle for our own rights today,” he said.
Charlie Scontras, a labor historian who consulted with the artist on the murals, noted that it was organized labor that demanded the creation of a Labor Department in the first place. The department was seen as necessary to collect data that would help craft legislation to create safer workplaces, he said.
“Nothing is built without labor, including this Department of Labor,” he said.
Some people in the crowd broke into chants several times during the hour-long rally. The chants included “Recall Paul,” “Nazis banned art,” and “Who are we? The people. Who’s mural? Ours.”
Shetterly told the crowd its continued commitment will be needed. He said it is important for them to return if attempts are made to remove the mural.
The event was organized by the artists’ group and the Maine AFL-CIO.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.