DC Mayor Names Plaza Outside White House To ‘Black Lives Matter’

Black Lives Matter Plaza is now the official name of the road leading to the White House. Mayor of Washington, DC – Muriel Bowser – has renamed the section of 16th street, which has hosted seven days of protests over the death of George Floyd.

The decision follows President Donald Trump ordering authorities to forcibly remove peaceful protesters from a square outside the White House so he could cross the street to take a photo in front of a church.

Mayor Bowser said she wanted Washington to demonstrate that “you can bring grievances to your government and demand change”. Earlier in the day, with permission from the city, volunteers painted the words “Black Lives Matter” in giant letters on the road. 

The section of 16th street in front of the White House is now officially “Black Lives Matter Plaza”. pic.twitter.com/bbJgAYE35b

— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) June 5, 2020

Marking the square in front of St John’s Church with the new “Black Lives Matter Plaza” sign on Friday, Ms Bowser said: “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”.

The mayor also tweeted a video clip of the giant “Black Lives Matter” street mural emblazoned on the road in front of the White House in bright yellow paint.

“There was a dispute this week about whose street this is,” the mayor’s chief of staff John Falcicchio tweeted as the mural was unveiled.

“Mayor Bowser wanted to make it abundantly clear that this is DC’s street and honour demonstrators who were peacefully protesting on Monday evening.”

Source: BBC

Photos: Getty Images