Mural of Italian Olympic Champion Paola Egonu Targeted by Racist Vandalism

A mural celebrating Italian Olympic volleyball champion Paola Egonu was defaced with racist graffiti just a day after its unveiling near the Italian Olympic Committee headquarters in Rome, according to a report in The Guardian.

The mural, created by the street artist Laika, featured Egonu, an Italian citizen and key figure in Italy’s historic gold medal win at the Paris Olympics, along with the words “stop racism.” Vandals spray-painted Egonu’s skin pink and erased the anti-racist message, sparking widespread condemnation from politicians and Egonu’s teammates.

The mural, titled Italianità, was Laika’s response to a controversial passage in a book by Roberto Vannacci, a far-right Italian delegation to the European parliament, who questioned Egonu’s representation of Italy based on her physical features. Vannacci reiterated his stance after Egonu’s standout performance in the Olympic final against the USA, during which she earned the title of top scorer.

The defacement of the mural was condemned across Italy’s political spectrum. Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani expressed solidarity with Egonu, calling the act “vulgar racism,” while Elly Schlein, leader of the opposition Democratic Party, reiterated the need for legal reforms to grant citizenship at birth to children born in Italy to foreign parents. Rome’s mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, and Italian men’s volleyball player Simone Giannelli also denounced the vandalism, describing it as a “vile insult” and an act of “heartlessness.”

Egonu, who was born in Italy to Nigerian parents, has previously faced racial abuse. Following a loss to Brazil during the world championship semi-finals in 2022 she temporarily stepped away from the national team after she was barraged with racial abuse online.

In an interview with Al Jazeera she said the worst attack of the lot questioned whether or not she was truly Italian. “It was devastating,” Egonu said.