In Providence, USA, a mural intended to commemorate Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian woman tragically stabbed to death on a subway in September 2025, has been halted and will be removed due to controversy surrounding its financier, Elon Musk. Musk's foundation donated a significant sum to a series of murals across US cities honoring victims of violent crime. Democratic Mayor Brett Smiley criticized the mural, stating that while Zarutska's death was a tragedy, the funding source and its perceived divisive intent do not represent Providence's values. His political opponent, David Morales, echoed these sentiments, calling it an instrumentalization of a refugee's death by the far-right to sow discord. Conversely, Republican Senator Jessica de la Cruz condemned the removal as censorship, arguing it infringes on free speech. The artist, Ian Gaudreau, expressed sadness over the premature end to his work, emphasizing his intention was to humanize Zarutska and not to promote a political agenda. The owners of the LGBTQ+ club where the mural was being painted also apologized and agreed to its removal.