WASHINGTON, D.C. – Crews began removing Washington, D.C.’s Black Lives Matter Plaza mural. It was painted on the street after the murder of Minneapolis man George Floyd. His death sparked nationwide protests over police brutality. District officials announced the removal following pressure from congressional Republicans.
The hammering and construction sound ring through Washington, D.C.’s 16th street. This portion is known locally as the Black Lives Matter Plaza. The phrase Black Lives Matter was painted yellow on the ground back in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. D.C. planned on making the mural permanent to commemorate the protests that happened nationwide and here locally. The nearly 50-foot long mural stretches for about two blocks on the street right in front of the White House.
“I really enjoyed the Mayor supported putting it in Black Lives Matter Plaza a few years ago and there’s a lot of important stuff that’s happened in this area and it felt like a commemoration of the protests and the things that have happened,” said Maddy, a D.C. local. “And it also felt like a way for D.C. to stand up for itself.”
Crews are removing it in response to pressure from congressional Republicans. Last week, Representative Andrew Clyde (R- GA) introduced legislation that would withhold certain funds from D.C. Unless the D.C. Mayor, Muriel Bowser, removes the phrase and redesignate the street as Liberty Plaza.
Rep. Clyde released a statement: “President Trump is 100% right: we must clean up Washington, D.C. for the American people. I believe that removing BLM Plaza must be part of this critical effort. After all, BLM is a radical, defund the police organization- but we are not a defund the police nation. Yet the Left has allowed this deeply divisive slogan to shamefully stain the streets of America’s capital city for nearly five years. It’s past time for Congress to exercise its constitutional authority over Washington’s affairs to remove BLM Plaza and rename the street to Liberty Plaza. Our capital city must serve as a beacon of freedom, patriotism, and safety- not wokeness, divisiveness, and lawlessness.”
Locals we spoke with describe the removal as sad and add it’s one way to show how vulnerable the District is for federal funding.
“It’s being ripped up with this idea that it’s going to win favor with the federal government that I just don’t see happening,” said Maddy.
“It’s pretty jarring just to see a reminder of how Black Lives Matter is treated in this kind of new administration,” said Daniel Brown, a student in D.C. but is from New York. “Just seeing people tear up the street that means something to so many people and still means something to me and so many others. It’s pretty brutal. It’s just a stark reminder of what America is. It’s very jarring.”
It’s unclear what project, if anything, will replace BLM Plaza. The D.C. Mayor is defending her decision to remove the Plaza. She released a statement saying in part: “The mural inspired millions of people and helped our city through a very painful period, but now we can’t afford to be distracted by meaningless congressional interference. The devastating impacts of the federal job cuts must be our number one concern. Our focus is on economic growth, public safety and supporting our residents affected by these cuts.”