A Billboard in Iran and a Mural in France

A billboard at Imam Hussein Square, Shiraz in Iran's Fars Province, is inspired by the ancient defeat of the Roman Emperor Valerian. 

According to Vahid Namazi, head of the Fars branch of the Art Bureau, “there was a need to remind the Western countries of the civilizational might of the Islamic Republic of Iran and to make them understand that they are confronting a nation with more than three thousand years of cultural and civilizational legacy, one whose strength lies not in military weaponry but in the beliefs, traditions, and heritage of its people”. 

And he added: “This billboard in the historic city of Shiraz, once again, echoes the enduring legacy and power of the Iranian nation. In these turbulent times of war, it reminds the child-killing Zionist regime and its uncivilized patrons that, like those before them, they too shall soon kneel before the Iranians”.

Over in France, a new mural depicting Lady Liberty covering her face in shame was unveiled in Roubaix, France, ahead of Independence Day in the United States. 

Dutch artist Judith de Leeuw painted the fresco, titled “The Statue of Liberty’s Silent Protest”, on a building on Rue de Chemin-de-Fer. De Leeuw told Storyful that the Statue of Liberty, originally a gift from France to the United States as a symbol of friendship and freedom, now reflects the indignity over the United States’ current immigration policies under Donald Trump. 

“Roubaix has a large migrant population, and many of them live in extremely difficult circumstances. The values that the statue once stood for – freedom, hope, the right to be yourself – have been lost for many”, she said. 

De Leeuw added that the mural took six days to complete, and called the date of its unveiling – right before the July 04 Independence Day holiday – a “meaningful coincidence”. Although she was nervous that the message was too controversial, she said locals embraced the message given the harsh realities of immigration in France. 

And across the Atlantic, US President Donald Trump has finally signed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" – the signature piece of legislation of his second term, that includes trillions of dollars in tax and spending cuts while ramping up funding for defense and implementing his administration's immigration agenda – on Friday, which coincided with the July 04 holiday. 

A day earlier, the House of Representatives passed the said bill. The lower chamber voted 218 to 214 to approve the measure, with two Republicans – Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania – joining all Democrats to oppose it.