Remember Occupy Miami? The movement has mostly petered out, but some of its members are keeping its shit-stirring spirit alive.
On Friday night, veteran protester Kevin Young was arrested for allegedly defacing one of Francis Suarez's ubiquitous campaign posters. Young apparently changed the mayoral candidate's name to read "Fraud" Suarez.
There are many possible motives, of course, from Suarez's connection to a ballot fraud investigation to his support for arresting homeless people, his aide's idiotic tweets to his creepy American Psycho-esque slicked hair. But what actually appears to have set Young off was Suarez appropriating the death of teenage tagger Israel Hernandez.
See also: Teenager Israel Hernandez Dies After Miami Beach Cops Catch Him Tagging, Taser Him
According to a police report, Young was caught around 9:30 p.m. on Friday using a black marker to deface a sign at 34th Street and Biscayne Boulevard.
The report only mentions the "Fraud" edit and not the words "RIP Reffa" below, but it appears to be done in the same type of black marker.
It's safe to say that "RIP Reffa" is a reference to Israel "Reefa" Hernandez, the 18-year-old artist fatally Tasered by Miami Beach cops two weeks ago.
Assuming Young inked the tribute to Reefa, it would make sense for him to also slam Suarez.
Miami Fraternal Order of Police President Sgt. Javier Ortiz blasted the city commissioner for using Hernandez's death to score political opponents against his opponent, incumbent Tomas Regalado.
"It is unfortunate that Commissioner Francis Suarez has chosen to utilize a sensitive situation in which someone has died on a paid political advertisement for Mayor to obtain votes," Ortiz wrote before pointing out that Suarez had voted to buy Tasers for Miami cops.
It's too early to tell if Suarez's supposed sympathy for the slain paint-slinger will help him to victory on November 5, or if the heavy-handed homage will hurt him instead.
What's worse, after all: an aging mayor who doesn't get Miami youths or a young, handsome mayor who simply uses them?
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