Oakland artists pay tribute to George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement with murals

Several dozen artists spray-painted murals and slogans on boarded-up businesses in Oakland, California, this week in support of Black Lives Matter and George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed by a white policeman.

The artists said they were responding to a call by activists to beautify the city after the store windows were boarded up to protect them as some demonstrations to protest Floyd's death turned violent.

 A mural that reads "No Fear" is seen on the side of Broadway in downtown Oakland.

The muralists said they wanted to pay tribute to the memory of Floyd, who was killed last month, and to the Black Lives Matter movement, which raises awareness over police brutality towards black people and other racial minorities.

"It's the rampant abuse of power. It's been in our society for far too long and it's undeniable to anyone now.

 Local artist "Shawn" paints a mural in memory of George Floyd in Oakland.

This isn't my fight, but I am here to follow the lead of my brothers and sisters who have been aggrieved for generations," Dustin Young, one of the artists, told a section of the media.

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"We have a lot of different pieces, but it's all peaceful. It's all unity. It's all just about love," said Aireon Tavarres, one of the organizers, in front of a spray-painted picture of a rainbow-colored star, emblazoned with the words 'No Fear.'