WASHINGTON — District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser on Friday had “Black Lives Matter” painted on the street that leads to the White House where protesters have been demonstrating following George Floyd’s death in police custody.
“There was a dispute this week about whose street this is,” John Falcicchio, chief of staff for Bowser, a Democrat, said in a tweet. “Mayor Bowser wanted to make it abundantly clear that this is DC’s street and to honor demonstrators who (were) peacefully protesting on Monday evening.”Muriel Bowser✔@MurielBowser
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People were seen painting the words “Black Lives Matter” on Friday morning in large block letters in yellow across 16th street, which leads to Lafayette Square and the White House.
The official D.C. chapter of the Black Lives Matter Global Network, however, suggested in a tweet that this move was merely an empty gesture by Bowser.
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“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 police. @emilymbadger say it with us,” the account tweeted.BlackLivesMatter DC@DMVBlackLives
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 police. @emilymbadger say it with us https://twitter.com/emilymbadger/status/1268894519283658753 …Emily Badger✔@emilymbadgerHoly cow. The city of DC is out here on 16th steeet behind the White House painting BLACK LIVES MATTER onto the streets — that it owns — stretching all the way to k Street.17KTwitter Ads info and privacy9,351 people are talking about this
This comes several days after Trump ordered the U.S. Park Police and National Guard troops forcefully removed demonstrators who were peacefully protesting outside the White House on Monday evening. The crowd was dispersed so Trump could walk out of the White House to St. John’s Episcopal Church for a photo-op in which he held up a Bible.
Bowser blasted Trump for what occurred, tweeting, “I imposed a curfew at 7 pm. A full 25 minutes before the curfew & w/o provocation, federal police used munitions on peaceful protestors in front of the White House, an act that will make the job of @DCPoliceDept officers more difficult. Shameful! DC residents — Go home. Be safe.”
The painting of the phrase Black Lives Matter came as Bowser shared a letter addressed to Trump from Thursday in which she requested that he withdraw “all extraordinary federal law enforcement and military presence from Washington, D.C.” now that she has ended the state of emergency for the city and the Metropolitan Police Department didn’t make any arrests on Wednesday night.
