Mayor Garcetti, Anti-Defamation League denounce mural in downtown LA as anti-Semitic

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (FOX 11) - Several groups, including the Anti-Defamation League and Mayor Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, have denounced a mural at a downtown LA art gallery calling it anti-Semitic.

The artwork appears at The Vortex at 2341 East Olympic Boulevard and shows a Grim Reaper character wearing a cloak covered with Stars of David, holding what appears to be a dead baby and a missile.

The Office of the Mayor says Garcetti is calling for the removal of the mural. The Anti-Defamation League of Los Angeles tweeted a photo of the mural with the caption: "This mural at the Vortex in LA crosses a line. We call for its removal. For a venue that purports to welcome the community, the Vortex should join us in condemning hateful imagery that invokes anti-Semitic canards conflating Jews with death, snakes, bombs, and killing babies."

On Tuesday, The Vortex posted the following statement on Facebook:

"The Vortex stands for free expression. The artist whose mural includes the Star of David (created for the LA vs. WAR show to acknowledge 9/11 about 5-6 years ago) did not intend to express an anti Semitic message. We believe his intent deserves considerable weight. We invite those who feel otherwise to paint another mural next to it. We are also open to hosting a public discussion about this controversy at The Vortex."

CNS contributed to this report