Amid biting winds and blustering streaks of snow, a group of autonomous activists projected a large and saintly illustration of accused UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter Luigi Mangione on a Lower Manhattan building Thursday evening, February 20, calling for a fair trial ahead of Mangione’s court appearance on Friday afternoon.
Having pled not guilty to 11 state charges of murder and terrorism days after his extradition to New York late last December, Mangione is set to appear in state court today for what should be a routine status check on the case.
Emblazoned in the center of the enormous projection at the intersection of Canal and Lafayette Streets, the words “Free Luigi” have been chanted, inscribed, grafittied, meme’d, and commercialized worldwide. Prior to Mangione’s arrest in Altoona, Pennsylvania, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s shooting ignited fervent conversations about exorbitant medical care costs, the exasperation and desperation around denied claims, and the ethics of health insurance companies determining what constitutes necessary patient care.
At 26 years old, Mangione himself has become a celebrity suspect upon his arrest and time in custody. His Pennsylvania mugshot was juxtaposed with hundreds of photos from his college days, time living in Hawaiʻi, and international travels in memes, thirst posts, and think pieces, some likening him to a Christian saint or even Jesus himself, as in the very image used in yesterday’s projection.
Photos from Mangione’s December 19 perp walk in New York City exploded in popularity online as the compositions and color schemes further likened Mangione to a Christ-like being from Medieval or Renaissance art history. During his December 23 court appearance, Mangione’s attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo blasted the procedure, claiming her client “was on display for everyone to see in the biggest staged perp walk I’ve ever seen in my career.”
Friedman Agnifilo called attention to New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s decision to attend the perp walk, citing his earlier statement to the press: “I want to look him in the eye and state that ‘you carried out this terrorist act in my city, the city that this, the people of New York, love.’”
“The mayor should know more than anyone of the presumption of innocence that he too is afforded when dealing with his own issues,” Friedman Agnifilo argued, claiming that the public attention and assumption of Mangione’s guilt could impact her client’s right to a fair trial.
Mangione has not entered a plea on any federal charges at this stage.
