REAL DUBUQUE NEWS (RDN)
Update: City removes tarp covering Five Flags Center 'Solidarity' mural ahead of Trump rally
LOCAL NEWS WIRE • November 01, 2026
Dubuque officials say the city did not authorize the covering ordered by the White House Advance Team, and the rental agreement allows no exterior modifications.
KEY FACTS & RECORD HIGHLIGHTS
- The City of Dubuque says the tarp covering the 'Solidarity' mural on Five Flags Center's eastern facade has been removed.
- The city became aware Saturday evening that a tarp had been hung over the side of the building; the city was not asked if the exterior could be modified and did not authorize it.
- Five Flags Center is owned by the City of Dubuque and operated by private management company Oak View Group; the facility rental agreement for Sunday's event does not include any authority to modify the exterior.
- The city directed Oak View Group to remove the tarp, and it has been removed.
- The mural was painted in 2020 and depicts 10 raised fists of a variety of colors, with the word 'solidarity' spelled out in letters and symbols on the wrists.
- Oak View Group General Manager Scott Hallgren said the decision to cover the mural was made by the Office of Presidential Advance, with the goal of exterior branding and putting up a U.S. flag.
The City of Dubuque says the tarp that covered the "Solidarity" mural on the eastern facade of Five Flags Center has been removed.
City officials said they became aware Saturday evening that a tarp had been hung over the side of the building. The city was not asked if the exterior of the facility could be modified and did not authorize it, according to a city statement.
Five Flags Center is owned by the City of Dubuque and operated by the private management firm Oak View Group. The rental agreement for Sunday's event includes no authority to modify the exterior of the building. The city directed Oak View Group to remove the tarp, and it has been removed.
The removal follows reporting by KCRG on Saturday that the 2020 mural, which depicts 10 raised fists of a variety of colors with the word "solidarity" spelled out on the wrists, had been covered ahead of President Donald Trump's Sunday visit. Oak View Group General Manager Scott Hallgren said the decision to cover the mural was made by the Office of Presidential Advance, the White House team that organizes the president's official visits. Hallgren said the goal was exterior branding and to hang a U.S. flag, and added in a statement that "we value and respect what this mural means to our community and to the citizens of Dubuque."
When it was commissioned, Dubuque officials said the image represents all people in Dubuque and clarified the city's goal to be an inclusive and equitable community.
REAL DUBUQUE NEWS (RDN)