The Black Lives Matter plaza erected in Washington D.C. following George Floyd’s murder is set to be removed.
On Tuesday (March 4), D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) announced that the plaza, just one block from the White House, will be repainted and renamed, per NBC4 Washington.
The move comes amid threats to interfere with the city’s management from Congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump. Bowser made the announcement just a day after GOP Rep. Andrew Clyde introduced the legislation forcing the city to repaint and rename the Black Lives Matter plaza or be at risk of losing millions of dollars in transportation funding.
“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,” Bowser said in a statement on Tuesday. “The devastating impacts of the federal job cuts must be our number one concern.”
The two-block stretch of 16th Street NW north of the White House was designated as the Black Lives Matter Plaza in 2020 as protests erupted across the nation over police brutality.
Legislation introduced by Clyde requires the city to remove the Black Lives Matter lettering from the street, rename the intersection to Liberty Plaza, and remove any mention of Black Lives Matter from the city’s websites and official documents. Bowser said Tuesday that the plaza would be repainted as part of a citywide mural project in celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday next year.
In a statement, Clyde said he was “pleased” with Bowser’s move to remove the plaza but noted that he would keep pushing his legislation until it’s “officially gone for good.”
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