DALLAS — Students from Booker T. Washington High School launched a petition this month opposing the covering and removal of a whale mural by artist Robert Wyland in downtown Dallas. The mural is being obscured as part of a FIFA World Cup-related project.

The petition demands that the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee halt all further work, provide restitution to Wyland, and that the city establish rules requiring a public hearing before any public art is removed. The effort was organized to support Wyland's legal case.

Wyland painted the mural in 1999 and is threatening legal action after the project covered his work without his consent. The mural is described in the petition as approximately 30 years old.

The petition states: "Dallas is more than a backdrop for sports events—we are a city with a rich history, vibrant art, and a unique soul worth fighting for." It also states: "Great cities honor their past; they do not erase it."

The petition also addresses work already underway at the site. "Though the main wall is already being covered in blue paint, the fight is not over yet," the petition reads. "We can still save the untouched side wall and force these big organizations to make things right."

The petition gained more than 200 signatures within 24 hours through word of mouth, according to the students involved.

The students plan to launch a city-wide phone campaign targeting city leaders and FIFA officials.