Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser in a defiant move renamed the street that leads to the White House as "Black Lives Matter Plaza" with the same slogan painted in huge yellow letters on it.
A new street sign was also installed for the plaza at the section of 16th street in front of the White House, it is also the site of St John's Episcopal Church where US President Donald Trump held the Bible and stood for his photo op after officers fired tear gas, while charging Black Lives Matter demonstrators to make way for the president.
At a news conference, Bowser said, "We know what's going on in our country. There is a lot of anger. There is a lot of distrust of police and the government," reported ABC News. People are craving to be heard and want their humanity to be recognized. "We had the opportunity to send that message loud and clear on a very important street in our city," she added.
Differed With Trump
Speaking about the federal response, she called for the removal of the out-of-state National Guard troops, differing with Trump. The US president had warned after initial protests that the Secret Service would unleash "the most vicious dogs and the most ominous weapons I have ever seen" if the demonstrations breached the security fence around the White House.
Trump tweeted attacking Bowser after her unveiling of the mural which was painted by a group of people including men and women of different races and ages with some wearing rollerblades and work boots.
'Gross'
Mayor Bowser called it "gross" in his reference to attack dogs as it brought up the worst memories of the US fight against segregation.
Bowser also tweeted the footage of the mural being painted along with a message to Breonna Taylor, a black woman killed by Louisville, Kentucky police, along with George Floyd, the black man who died last month in police custody after a police officer kneeled on his neck. The largely peaceful protests at times turned violent along with looting and clashes between police and protesters.
Trump Criticized
This comes at a time when Trump got criticized by many including his former defense secretary Jim Mattis, where they called for law enforcement to treat all people fairly and equally, regardless of race, gender, color, or creed. Washington DC might witness a huge demonstration on Saturday after preparations in a city still under coronavirus restrictions.
