ROAD TO CHANGE
‘Black Lives Matter’ painted on road to the White House as fence erected around president’s residence
THE mayor of Washington, DC, ordered a massive painted along the road to the White House — which now has a giant fence erected around it.
Mayor Muriel Bowser contacted the Public Works Department for help to create the giant, yellow letters that span two blocks of 16th street in the nation’s capital.
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Each of the letters span the width of the two-lane road — the paint of which began on Friday morning.
16 Street, where the mural is painted, leads to Lafayette Square and .
Bowser has deemed the area with the huge lettering “Black Lives Matter Plaza” — which she designated with a street sign.
"There are people who are craving to be heard and to be seen, and to have their humanity recognized, and we had the opportunity to send that message loud and clear on a very important street in our city," Bowser told reporters on Friday.
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"And it is that message, and that message is to the American people, that Black Lives Matter black humanity matters, and we as a city raise that up as part of our values as a city."
“As Washingtonians, we simply all want to be here together in peace to demonstrate that in America, you can peacefully assemble, you can bring grievances to your government, and you can demand change.”
"We're here peacefully as Americans, on American streets, on DC streets," the mayor added.
Bowser’s chief of staff, John Falcicchio, : "There was a dispute this week about whose street this is.”
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“Mayor Bowser wanted to make it abundantly clear that this is DC's street and to honor demonstrators who (were) on Monday evening.”
slammed Bowser on Friday as an “incompetent mayor.”
“@MayorBowser, who’s budget is totally out of control and is constantly coming back to us for ‘handouts’, is now fighting with the National Guard, who saved her from great embarrassment over the last number of nights,” he tweeted.
“If she doesn’t treat these men and women well, then we’ll bring in a different group of men and women!”
Black Lives Matters’ DC chapter the mural was an empty gesture.
“This is a performative distraction from real policy changes. Bowser has consistently been on the wrong side of BLMDC history.”
“This is to appease white liberals while ignoring our demands. Black Lives Matter means defund the ,” their Twitter account read.
The painting comes a week after , an unarmed black man, .
His death sparked national and worldwide unrest, including in Washington, DC, where protesters have marched in the streets against police brutality and racism.
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MOST READ IN NEWS
On Monday, US Park Police and National Guard troops who were in Lafeyette Park so that Trump could walk over to the nearby St John’s Episcopal Church — which had been lit on fire in a violent protest — .
As a result of protests in the area, a huge fence has been built around the White House.
It was previously reported by multiple outlets that during chaotic protests last week outside "the people's house," Secret Service agents used during terror attacks; .
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