'Kobe and Gigi saved': Vanessa Bryant glad protesters didn't vandalize murals featuring husband and daughter
Amid widespread protests in the country over George Floyd's death, multiple graffiti are being seen at the scene of crowds, however, demonstrators have kept certain murals untouched, including those of Kobe and Gigi Bryant. The late basketball legend's wife, Venessa Bryant, took to Instagram on Monday, June 1, to share a series of murals of her late husband and daughter that were made after the father-daughter duo's tragic deaths earlier this year.
Vanessa shared the pictures with the caption: "Kobe and Gigi untouched. LA" along with two heart emojis. In another similar picture of an untouched mural, she wrote: "Kobe and Gigi mural saved." She, however, did not mention the location of other murals that were saved, however, she particularly pointed out the ones in her home city that remained untouched by the graffiti. She also shared a picture of a fire burning near one of the murals, writing: "Kobe and (Natalia) mural saved."
Vanessa, along with the artworks of Kobe and Gigi, also shared a few pictures that featured the pair's oldest daughter, 17-year-old Natalia, on the photo-sharing website.
The nationwide protests came as four Minneapolis police officers involved in Floyd's brutal death were fired on May 26 after a video of the incident went viral on social media. The footage showed Floyd pleading with officers as one of them, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck while the 46-year-old told them to let him stand because he could not breathe. The clip showed Floyd pleading with the officer to allow him to breathe and a few minutes later he became unconscious. Floyd's death has sparked massive protests and unrest in Minneapolis and across the country. Chauvin, aged 44, was arrested last week on charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter last week.
Los Angeles county, meanwhile, saw its third day of a curfew on June 1 after over 500 arrests were made on Friday, May 29, during late-night protests. Reports state that some cities in the region, including Beverly Hills and Santa Monica were on 1 PM curfews on Monday after multiple stores were looted and vandalized.
The Los Angeles Lakers legend, 41, died in the helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on January 26 this year. The chopper was carrying his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant, and seven others. None survived the fatal crash. Shortly after his and his daughter's demise, many murals across Los Angeles popped up in memory of the pair. The father-daughter duo's memorial was held at Staples Center in February.
Vanessa, during the ceremony, gave a heartfelt speech, saying: "God knew they couldn't be on this Earth without each other. He had to bring them home to heaven together,' she said with raw and real emotion. Kobe, take care of our Gigi. I've got Natalia, Bianka and Capri. We're still the best team." May praised Vnessa's strength and resistance after the tragic loss of her husband and young daughter. At the time of the basketball legend's death, Kobe and Vanessa were married for nearly 19 years.