Graffiti seen Sunday, Jan. 29, on Dempster Street in Evanston calls for justice for Tyre Nichols, who died Jan. 10 after a beating by Memphis police officers. Credit: Submitted

New graffiti messages observed Sunday in Evanston, largely on and around CTA and Metra viaducts, urged “Justice for Tyre,” a reference to Tyre Nichols, a Black driver who died Jan. 10, three days after being severely beaten by police in Memphis, Tennessee.

Video of the police assault on Nichols was released Friday, Jan. 27, and the five officers primarily seen in the footage have been arrested and charged with murder.

  • Graffiti spotted around Evanston on Sunday, Jan. 29, calls for justice for Tyre Nichols, who died Jan. 10 after a beating by Memphis police officers. Credit: Submitted
  • Graffiti spotted around Evanston on Sunday, Jan. 29, calls for justice for Tyre Nichols, who died Jan. 10 after a beating by Memphis police officers. Credit: Submitted
  • Graffiti spotted around Evanston on Sunday, Jan. 29, calls for justice for Tyre Nichols, who died Jan. 10 after a beating by Memphis police officers. Credit: Submitted
  • Graffiti spotted around Evanston on Sunday, Jan. 29, calls for justice for Tyre Nichols, who died Jan. 10 after a beating by Memphis police officers. Credit: Submitted
  • Graffiti spotted around Evanston on Sunday, Jan. 29, calls for justice for Tyre Nichols, who died Jan. 10 after a beating by Memphis police officers. Credit: Submitted
  • Graffiti spotted around Evanston on Sunday, Jan. 29, calls for justice for Tyre Nichols, who died Jan. 10 after a beating by Memphis police officers. Credit: Submitted
  • Graffiti spotted around Evanston on Sunday, Jan. 29, calls for justice for Tyre Nichols, who died Jan. 10 after a beating by Memphis police officers. Credit: Submitted
  • Graffiti spotted around Evanston on Sunday, Jan. 29, protests the killing of Tyre Nichols, who died Jan. 10 after a beating by Memphis police officers. Credit: Submitted

Even before the footage was released, Evanston Police Chief Schenita Stewart issued a statement on the case and the “crisis of confidence” facing police. Later, the Rev. Michael C.R. Nabors released a response as well. He asked, “How much more can we in America take, before we are fully cognizant that change must occur?”

Stewart and Nabors have agreed to hold a town hall meeting to discuss the issues of police violence and community trust in the near future.

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  1. A huge number of Americans want justice for Tyre Nichols, but a great many of us are also opposed to graffiti. A positive message doesn’t make it any better. While I’m here, may I take this opportunity to complain about all the graffiti on buildings seen only or best from CTA and Metra trains in Evanston? There’s one especially bad place on a long building just north of Main, east of the CTA tracks. There are no positive messages in this graffiti. It looks like Evanston and many building owners are acquiescing to the gangs and vandals. Why isn’t there a crackdown and cleanup? What do people have to do to get rid of it and keep it off?

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  2. Obviously normal people want justice for crime victims, but how does defacing private property in a city 500 miles away in a different state advance that cause?

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  3. Reply