Mural linking Palestinian and Irish flags draws mixed reaction in Charlestown before its removal
A graffiti mural in Boston is gone less than 24 hours after it went up, but neighbors in Charlestown are still talking about it. The imagery depicted a large Palestinian flag next to an Irish flag. It was painted onto the side of a building at Bunker Hill Mall and faced the public sidewalk.
"Not everyone is for everything. We just didn't want that in our neighborhood because it instigates and causes trouble," said Charlestown resident John Flaherty.
"Here today, gone tomorrow," said Tommy Howard, a Charlestown resident who got a quick picture of it before it was removed. "The management of the mall, I didn't think they would put that up, so it was put up illegally. I didn't think it was going to last."
Howard traveled to Palestine roughly six years ago and understands the historical correlation between Ireland's past and Palestine's present fight to be a nation.
"Yeah, free Ireland, and still fighting the British you know," said Howard.
Having conquered British colonization, Ireland has long supported Palestinian sovereignty. They called for Palestine to be a state as early as the 1980s. In 2024, Ireland joined Spain and Norway in recognizing Palestine as a state.
Padraig O'Malley is a professor at UMass Boston and has written books on Ireland. "The murals on the walls particularly in Catholic areas show both Irish freedom fighters and Palestinian freedom fighters fighting the same enemies," explained O'Malley. "This only happens in particular areas. In the Republic of Ireland, you would see none of this. You won't see in Dublin Palestinian flags all over the place."
The issue is not all Irish Americans feel the same as Ireland's leadership, nor do they want to draw political attention to their neighborhood.
"You are insinuating that both outfits are together by having both flags kissing one another," said Flaherty.
Neighbors say the mural went up on Sunday, but was gone by Monday. Boston saw a barrage of 311 calls on the graffiti with some people praising the mural and asking it to remain, while others called it offensive. One complaint said, "As a Jewish person living in Charlestown, my family and I find this deeply offensive and troublesome for the community."
"Whatever my politicking is, nobody has to know and it's my choice, but I don't want that thing on the wall saying all of these Irish guys are for Palestinians. I might be for the man on the moon, but we don't want that on the wall," said Flaherty.
WBZ reached out to the city to ask about its removal, but they turned responsibility over to the property owners of the Bunker Hill Mall. WBZ spoke with their representatives who are working to get us answers about how it went up, and who took it down. WBZ reached out to the company again after the initial conversation, but we are still awaiting a response.
WBZ also reached out to the New England ADL for comment. They are also looking into the situation but have yet to provide a statement or response.
