Manny Castro, the local artist who
painted “Tastes Like Hate” on the side of a Chick-Fil-A eatery in
Torrance, California, has been arrested.
Castro left his message two days after
Chick-Fil-A restaurants were flooded with customers supporting CEO
Dan Cathy's comments in opposition to gay marriage.
The Los Angeles Times reported
that Castro was arrested on suspicion of vandalism on Wednesday in
West Hollywood. Police are also looking for a second person they
suspect played a role in the incident.
The openly gay, 30-year-old Castro
stepped forward to take responsibility for the graffiti in remarks to
The Huffington Post.
“Everybody is entitled to free
speech, but it seems like for the gay tribe, this is more of an issue
of equal rights – human rights,” he said. “I'm against what
these people stand for, what this company stands for. They're trying
to take away what little rights we already have.”
“It's paint on a wall,” he
added. “It got removed in less than an hour. It's not that
much of a crime – it's a protest.”