Lobo statue found covered in red paint and keffiyeh

On Sept. 13, the University of New Mexico Police Department discovered that red paint had been poured on a lobo statue near Hodgin Hall.

The statue, which stands at the corner of University Boulevard and Central Avenue, was wrapped in a keffiyeh — a symbol of Palestinian identity and solidarity, according to Al Jazeera.

In a statement to the Daily Lobo, UNMPD Public Information Officer Larry Bitsoih wrote that when a patrolling officer found the statue, the red paint that had been used was placed next to it. There is no information on who was involved, and the case is considered closed, Bitsoih wrote.

Daniela del Mar, a UNM graduate student, described the incident as a “creative intervention.”

“Community and students feel desperate to be seen and be heard … I think that sense of wanting to be heard is coming out in these creative, public, visible ways,” del Mar said.

Andre Montoya-Barthelemy, faculty member at the UNM School of Medicine, said he was not surprised by the action.

“The administration really hasn't made any moves toward opening up dialogue for the (Israel divestment) movement, and it makes sense that somebody would try to get (the administration’s) and the community's attention in a different way,” Montoya-Barthelemy said.

Since fall 2023, some students, alumni, faculty members and community members have called for a ceasefire in Gaza and for UNM to divest from Israeli companies.

In May, UNM President Garnett Stokes told protesters that their requests were “far more complex than (they) recognize.”

In 1985, UNM divested from gold mines in apartheid South Africa.

Ten days before the incident, a similar act occurred at Columbia University, where protesters poured red paint on the “Alma Mater” sculpture, according to Hyperallergic. College campuses across the U.S. have heightened restrictions on protesting for the fall semester. Some universities have banned encampments, increased security and limited allowable areas and time frames for protesting, according to PBS.

“UNM students have a history of protesting apartheid,” del Mar said. “So if the ways in which we try to make ourselves in our rights as students heard continue to be limited, then what choices do we have?”

Montoya-Barthelemy has observed UNM’s recent actions relating to free speech on campus, he said.

“On a pretty regular basis, they've been sending out reminders about the free speech policy on campus … I haven't noticed any changes, but as much as it's remained static, it really depends on how the administration decides to employ it and how they decide to enforce it,” Montoya-Barthelemy said.

On Aug. 19, Stokes released a disclosure of some University investment information. Montoya-Barthelemy said he thinks this disclosure was limited.

In July, the Daily Lobo revealed shares in funds that invest in Israeli companies, which Stokes did not completely disclose in August.

“There doesn't seem to be a good faith effort to listen to their community, their constituents, the students and the faculty who overwhelmingly support this divestment,” Montoya-Barthelemy said.

The red paint incident is listed as “criminal damage/graffiti” in the UNMPD daily crime log.

“The reporting officer checked security cameras in the area and found no evidence of the unknown offender(s) committing the unlawful act,” Bitsoih wrote.

Del Mar is from Chile, where graffiti is not viewed as negatively as it is in the U.S., they said.

“In my home country, graffiti represents the voice of the people,” del Mar said. “What's on the walls is the true feeling of the voice of the people.”

Leila Chapa is the social media editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at socialmedia@dailylobo.com or on X @lchapa06

Paloma Chapa is the multimedia editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at multimedia@dailylobo.com or on X @paloma_chapa88

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