Greta’s Newly Painted Mural Defaced: ‘Stop The Lies! This Is Oil Country!’

A man claimed responsibility for defacing the newly painted mural of teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg in Canada, writing with spray paint, “Stop the lies! This is oil country!”

Hours after Thunberg attended a climate rally nearby, artist AJA Louden created a mural of the young climate activist in the Canadian city of Edmonton, according to the Independent.

Two days later, a man spray-painted the words, “Stop the lies! This is oil country!” across the painting as a journalist, who was filming, watched.

“This is Alberta,” the man said, explaining to reporters that as soon as he saw pictures of the mural of on social media he knew he had to “deal with it.”

“This is oil country. My father has worked in the oil industry. We don’t need foreigners coming in and telling us how to run our business, support our families, put food on our tables … just shut up until you have solutions.”

The man also said that his recently deceased father would have been “disgusted” by the mural.

Another man, who refused to speak to reporters, reportedly defaced the mural later in the day on Sunday and said that Thunberg should leave the country, the Independent reports from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

Edmonton is located in the Canadian province of Alberta, which is known for its oil and gas industry.

Alberta holds the world’s third-largest crude reserves, and many energy sector workers in Alberta feel that environmentalists have unfairly targeted their industry.

The defacing came after Alberta Environment Minister Jason Nixon told reporters on Oct. 16 that Thunberg “doesn’t understand” Alberta or the region’s world-famous oil sands petroleum deposits.

“I do hope that if she does come to our beautiful province, she takes the time to talk to our state-of-the-art industry partners, who are working tirelessly to continue to produce the most ethical and environmentally friendly oil and gas products in the world,” Nixon said.

“When you look at some of Ms. Thunberg’s comments, she doesn’t understand our province,” Nixon said.

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