Sinbad Voyage, a prominent mural in central Berkeley on the corner of Dwight Way and Sacramento Street, was vandalized with a paint-like substance last week.

White splatters now deface some of the mural’s 400 immigrant figures aboard boats, painted by Bay Area artist Mokhtar Paki in 2023. Some supporters and locals have condemned the act, calling it “hateful.”

“STAY WITH IMMIGRANTS!” the Iranian-born artist wrote in an Instagram post Friday, alongside pictures of the mural before and after the defacement.

The Berkeley Scanner first reported the story on Sunday, and in the aftermath of the vandalism, signs appeared at the base of the mural reading, “Immigrants are the backbone of USA” and “Love your immigrant neighbor.”

“I drive by it every single day,” said Alex Schildgen, a Berkeley resident who lives near the mural site. “That’s obviously an aggressive statement to throw the paint right into the middle of it, you know? So yeah, it’s f—ed up.”

“This project is actually my love letter to Berkeley,” Paki said in a speech after completing the mural in May 2023. He said the mural was inspired by the tens of thousands of people who died attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. Paki pointed out notable faces he included in the mural, such as his niece, who drowned trying to flee Iran.

This summer, Berkeley saw its first known arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership has warned immigrants against visiting airports due to fears of ICE presence.

District 4 Councilmember Igor Tregub, whose district the mural is located in, said in an email that his office is in close communication with the Berkeley Police Department. He urges anyone who has information about the vandalism to contact BPD.

“I strongly condemn this awful and hateful incident,” Tregub said. “Sinbad’s Voyage is a deeply meaningful work of public art that tells a personal story about immigration, family, hardship, and finding a new home. The story that is so familiar to so many in Berkeley, including to me and my family. It is part of the cultural fabric of our community, and its defacing is particularly painful because of what the mural represents.”

Tregub added that he is working with Paki, city staff and the Civic Arts Commission to determine how to respond, including how best to restore the mural.

Many of the faces in Sinbad Voyage come directly from the local community, Paki said in his 2023 speech, including LGBTQ+ immigrants fleeing oppression in their home countries.

“Sinbad Voyage is more than a mural,” said Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii in an email statement. “It’s Mokhtar Paki’s love letter to Berkeley and to every immigrant who has found a home here. Seeing it defaced is heartbreaking, and the incident doesn’t reflect who we are as a city.”