Artists paint eight murals of Kaepernick throughout Atlanta after one was destroyed on eve of Super Bowl

Artists in Atlanta mobilized to paint murals of former NFL player Colin Kaepernick throughout the city after a building featuring one was destroyed on the eve of the Super Bowl.

Fabian Williams painted the image of Kaepernick standing beside Muhammad Ali on the side of an abandoned building two years ago, but told the Atlanta Constitution-Journal that he noticed the building being destroyed when he drove by last week.

“Symbols matter man. You destroyed the whole building it was on?” Williams said. “If I were an interpreter of performance art, what message would you take from that?”

{mosads}He told the paper he did not think it was a coincidence that the building, much of which had been destroyed by a fire last year, was demolished the day before thousands of fans descended on the city for the Super Bowl.

Williams called for his artist friends and other volunteers to hold a #Kaeperbowl on Sunday by painting murals of Kaepernick near the Mercedes Benz Stadium, the location of the Super Bowl game between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams. He asked local business owners to donate walls to be painted for the project.

“But on the 3rd day, he rose,” Williams wrote on Instagram announcing the completion of the first mural. “From the ashes to the masses.”

Williams announced early Monday morning that some of the murals are still in progress, and said that there are still more walls that could be painted.

“A more robust thank you is coming as me [and] team process the outpouring of love that we received from our city and honestly the world,” he wrote on Instagram. “What a humbling experience.”

View this post on Instagram

…Heroes really out here not wearing capes! I just wanted to say thank you to all the artists, volunteers, contributors, and donations big and small that came in to support #Kaeperbowl. A more robust thank you is coming as me qnd team process the outpouring of love that we received from our city and honestly the world. What a humbling experience. We still have murals that are in process and hobestly we have more walls. In danger of leaving out anyone, if you could give us a little time to gather our thoughts and our bodies as this day was both energizing, exhausting and beautiful. #Atlanta really stepped up. I'm proud of my city. Reposted from @goldigold45 – ….meanwhile. Since I put the wrong hashtag in my instastory. Smh, but it seems like #kaeperbowl which started last night with the originator @occasionalsuperstar was more exciting then the actual Super Bowl! Hahaha. So You got a group of dope artists in eight different locations through the city of Atlanta creating images of @kaepernick7 within a day call with addition of the community providing every services possible for the cause! Yup! Sound better then the super bowl to me #occasionalsuperstar #kaepernick #murals #success hi! @queensempire – #regrann

A post shared by Fabian (@occasionalsuperstar) on Feb 3, 2019 at 11:39pm PST

A GoFundMe for the effort raised over $10,000.

Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback, emerged as a social justice icon after starting the movement to kneel during the national anthem at games in protest of police brutality and racial inequality. He has not been signed by a team since the end of the 2016-17 season, and has formally accused league owners of colluding to keep him from playing.

A number of activists and celebrities announced they would boycott the Super Bowl over the NFL’s treatment of Kaepernick.

The Patriots won Super Bowl 53 on Sunday, 13-3.