Last night, the self-named "graffiti Mecca" in Long Island City, Queens 5 Pointz was covered over with white paint. Meres One, the curator of the street art spot for the last 11 years, has been trying to save 5 Pointz from destruction after it was announced that building owners and developers Jerry and David Wolkoff were planning to raze the painted warehouse for new residential and retail space. Meres One failed to obtain a court injunction to preserve the building, and a judge gave the Wolkoffs the go-ahead to take the building down.
Workers whitewashed the building last night under protection from police. It's unclear why the building was painted white before demolition—why cover it if they were planning on tearing it down anyway? Angry Twitter users suggested that this was just the Wolkoff's way of saying "fuck you" to 5 Pointz.
We headed over to check out the demolition at 5 Pointz this afternoon where Meres One was taping up pieces of paper for passersby to sign a makeshift memorial. The following photos show the current condition of 5 Pointz, already a ghost of what it once was, painted over in white.
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RELATED: Meres One, Curator of 5 Pointz, Is Taping Up a Memorial Wall for the Whitewashed "Graffiti Mecca"