Pastor addresses arrest for allegedly blocking crews from covering mural

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The “Black History Matters” mural in St. Petersburg was painted over Friday night. Two pastors were arrested for allegedly trying to block FDOT crews covering the mural.

Reverend Andy Oliver and Minister Benedict Atherton-Zeman were charged with obstruction.

Spectrum News spoke with Oliver after his Sunday morning worship.

The worship was full of music and references to history and murals.

“I am Pastor Andy Oliver. I use the pronouns he/him, also known this week now as inmate 2007898 or something like that I don’t remember,” said Oliver.

Oliver said he was kneeling and praying on the “Black History Matters” mural when FDOT began to remove it. Oliver said his faith compelled him to be there.

“I follow Jesus, who always stood with those who were being marginalized and attacked, and I knew that there was no other place for me to be that on that mural,” he said.

St. Petersburg police said they told Oliver that he was putting himself and FDOT workers at risk. The arrest affidavit said Oliver refused multiple attempts by police to get him to move and had to be carried off the road.

“I was told that I was in the way of traffic, and I let the police know they were in the way of justice,” Oliver said.

Oliver said he wasn’t going to move until his prayers to stop the mural’s erasure were answered. His attorney, Michele Rayner, said the men were using their right to protest and didn’t put anyone at risk because she said the area was blocked off and it was late at night. They were charged with obstruction.

“I think that that is a catch-all charge. When law enforcement doesn’t know what to charge people with, they charge them with that. I would argue that they weren’t obstructing anything. At the point they needed to comply with law enforcement, they did,” said Michele Rayner, Attorney.

Gov. Ron DeSantis defended directives to remove street art from roads statewide. He said it’s about more safety than politics.

“Local governments are required to mimic the state standard and I know some of them think that they don’t have to follow that, but this is all very clear in law and interestingly, most of this stuff, I mean, they had to remove a back the blue, they had to remove some of these other things, so it spans different things,” said DeSantis at a Tampa press conference on Tuesday.

Spectrum News asked Oliver what he thought of DeSantis’ claims, and his answer was short.

“We all know that’s bulls**t, that’s all I have to say,” Oliver said.

Oliver said the state can take away the city’s murals but not the community’s joy.

Rayner said now she will talk to the state attorney’s and encourage them not to press formal charges. If they are found guilty, they could face up to a year in jail.

Spectrum News reached out to St. Petersburg police to see if they have any further comment. They don’t have one at this time.