Resources
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Student publication
Other
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Incident Political Orientation:
Not Clear -
Incident Responses:
University administration invoked formal speech code in response
Other
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Incident Status:
No litigation
- Was Speech Code incident
Summary
On August 17, 2025, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill covered a pro-Palestinian mural in the Hanes Art Center and later removed the artwork. The mural, titled “I told you I loved you (Gaza Solidarity),” was created by students and community members through the university’s Studio Art 490: Art as Social Action course. The artwork consisted of black, red, and green prints associated with the colors of the Palestinian flag, layered in a pattern resembling a keffiyeh, with the phrase “I TOLD YOU I LOVED YOU AND I WANTED GENOCIDE TO STOP” displayed across the piece. The mural was created following the April 2024 Gaza solidarity encampment on campus and was displayed in the Hanes Art Center for more than one year.
After the mural was covered, UNC officials stated that the decision was based on the artwork being physically attached to university property and plans to replace the artwork in the Hanes Art Center. The university’s College of Arts and Sciences dean, Jim White, stated that the mural had been expected to remain on display for approximately one year and that the space was scheduled for new artwork. Professor Hồng-An Trương, who taught the Studio Art 490 course through which the mural was created, stated that the mural “emerged from an activation and strong desire to create in the midst of violence” and that “that is what art does. It inspires people to create meaningful expression of their ideas based on current events.”
On August 29, 2025, UNC announced that the mural had been damaged during the removal process and could not be restored. The university stated that the artwork would be returned to the artists through the art department. A replacement panel was installed near the former mural location containing the phrase “UNC Chancellor’s Office, a practice in censorship, 2025.” The panel was later removed after the university determined that it also did not comply with campus policies governing displays on university property.
On September 9, 2025, UNC Police investigated vandalism involving painted messages on campus, including the phrase “I TOLD YOU I LOVE YOU,” which echoed wording from the removed mural. The investigation involved damage to university property. UNC continued addressing issues related to the mural, including the removal process, the handling of the damaged artwork, and procedures governing student-created displays in university spaces.
