Can you please just go up on the sidewalk for everyone's safety so no one gets hit by a car? You are blocking the right of way. >> You are blocking justice. >> Come on. We have to repeat. >> Are we going to play this [groaning] game? >> Our Father, who art >> be thy name. >> Come on. >> Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. >> On August 29th, 2025, St. Petersburg officers responded to a 911 call outside the Woodson Africanamean Museum of Florida. They found Reverend Andy Oliver and Minister Benedict Athetherton Zean kneeling on the city mural. The caller had reported that both men were blocking state workers. They arrived to remove the Black History Matters street mural, a project that honored decades of black history. Officers saw the pastors refusing commands and praying in the street. But moments later, the peaceful protest turned into something far more disturbing. >> Hello, gentlemen. I'm Sergeant Kionis with the uh St. Pete Police. Uh hello, sir. Hi, Sergeant. >> Sir, um real quick, I just want to explain a couple things to you. We're here just for traffic control for F DOT to uh do their thing. >> I understand you're enabling fascism and white supremacy. >> Okay. Well, >> I'm just gonna kindly ask that you guys just kind of take your protest and and whatever you're doing just on >> will not let me move. >> I'll just pray till my prayers are answered. But I appreciate you. >> Okay. >> I know you have a job to do. >> I I understand where you guys coming are coming from, but uh we are going to have to have you guys move on to the sidewalk. >> We will not move >> as soon as my prayers are answered. >> But I appreciate you coming out to talk to us. >> Okay. Black people bled on these streets. I am not going to move. >> These gentlemen explain to you that this is a state operation that we are here just to block the road. You guys understand that? >> Here to enable fascism. I understand that. Yes. >> I am asking you nicely. Can you guys please just go on the sidewalk so you don't get hit by one of these cars? >> We all we care about is your safety. We don't want you getting hit by a car. >> I will not move. I follow Jesus and he will not let me move. >> Okay. is where I am called to be my religious obligation. >> Can you please Can you please just go on the sidewalk? >> My prayers are answered. >> You can call the chief. >> I've I've asked the trucks to stop backing up so we don't run you over. I don't not I do not want those cars to run you over. Okay. So, I'm trying to get them to just stop for a minute. >> Okay. We are not moving. So, that's our position. >> Do you guys have identification? I do not have to give you identification. Chief knows who I am. >> Okay. Well, I I'm not familiar with you, sir. I I apologize. >> I am here as part of my religious obligation. >> Okay. I again, sir, I'm I'm just trying to identify you. Um I I understand all that. >> Ask Chief Holloway to take a guess who is kneeling on this mural, and he will tell you. His first answer will be correct. >> If you refuse to move, we will have to move you onto the sidewalk. We all have to do what we have to do. >> I will be able to sleep tonight. You will have to live with that the rest of your life. >> Guys, I'm one I'm going to give you one more opportunity. Can you please just go up on the sidewalk for everyone's safety so no one gets hit by a car? You are blocking the right of way. That's all I'm asking. >> You are blocking justice. >> I'm not blocking anything. I am here to provide safety for >> You are blocking justice. >> I am not blocking anything. I'm asking you one more time. Can you please go on the sidewalk? That's all I'm asking. >> The Florida Department of Transportation stated that the mural was on a public roadway and was removed because it violated state rules prohibiting painting or marking on public streets without permission. Since both men refused to leave the road and declined to provide their IDs, officers had no choice but to arrest them to ensure compliance with state rules and the safety of both the public and the individuals involved. Where is >> we get the repeat? >> Are we going to play this again? >> Our Father, who arted be thy name. >> Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. >> Give us this day our daily bread. >> Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. >> Lead us not into temptation. Deliver us. Just move over to the sidewalk. We don't want to do this. Just move right over to the sidewalk. >> L40, I'm going to need my other people blocking traffic to come down and help us, please. >> Bring them over here. >> Mother God, father, God, spirit of life, you go by so many names and sometimes not even know. Thank you for the gift of this day. It's a beautiful day you have made for us. Thank you for this opportunity to do your work in this world. >> Careful, careful, careful. I don't want him to hit his legs against this curb. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Come on. Just a little further. >> I don't want to hurt your head. Come on up. >> There you go, >> sir. Just be careful. We don't want your feet dragging getting hurt. heaven. >> Be thy name. >> I'm going to put two on you. Okay. >> Thy kingdom come. Thy will be. >> If you put them together like you're clapping, it'll be >> on earth as it is in heaven. >> Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses. >> We forgive those who trespass against us. >> Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Same thing. Yep. Yes. >> All right, my man. Can you put your feet up for me? Okay. Stand up. >> Ready. One, two, three. Ready. One. >> Can you stand up for us, please? >> Sir, that's going to be resisting charge. >> I don't I don't want you to do that. >> But we don't want to have to carry you. Okay. >> Hey, can you help us out? >> Thank you, brother. Appreciate it. >> Thanks, bro. much. >> I'll go on the other side. >> I just want to give you the church number. >> Okay. >> Um and I don't remember it. >> I was going to say, Father, I realized you had the >> Okay. >> You don't? >> I right now I cannot remember it. Okay. If you can look up the church number. >> All right. Father, >> thank you. And I'm a pastor. You can call me Andy. It's fine. You don't have to call me father. >> Okay. Thank you, sir. Mr. Athetherton Zean, um I'm just letting you know that uh you're going to be issued a pedestrian violation um for uh obstructing the roadway and then you're being charged with uh obstruction. >> Okay. Thank you, Sergeant. >> Yes, sir. >> Sergeant Kionis, I'm just letting you know um you're being you're going to be issued a pedestrian violation for obstructing the roadway and then you're uh being charged with obstruction. >> Okay. Do you have any questions? Can you loosen my handcuffs? >> Uh, yeah. Uh, let me do this. You can just face that way. >> So, I've been to a few. Just finding the one >> if you're trying to Yeah, exactly. >> Well, we we have really fantastic Catholic churches here. I I hope you find one that works for you. >> I heard this few heard the one on Fourth Street is pretty good on >> by downtown. >> Oh, yeah. Um the big one, right? Fifth Avenue South. Yeah. >> I have I have never been in there, but I always I always drive by it. >> Yeah. I heard it's good in there. So >> yeah, I've been to a few just um you know what I mean? >> Sure. Yeah. It takes it takes a long time to find the right one. Welcome to the neighborhood by the way. >> Did the job bring you here? >> Uh yeah. >> Cool. >> So our crew was out there um painting the road and we had individuals in front of our vehicles kneel down praying. um not allowing us to move forward and do what we needed to do while we were out there. >> Got so officers asked to move several times and Yes, sir. >> They were. Okay. >> All right. Um anything out of the ordinary that you saw? Anything crazy other than that? >> Aside from that, just people not wanting us to do that and people watching video recording? Yes, that's about it. >> All right. >> Oliver and Athetherton Zean were booked into the Penllis County Jail on misdemeanor resisting charges and released after posting bond. Want to watch more videos like this one? Click the one on the screen.