'Black Lives Matter' mural on street in US capital being removed

Local officials stated that removal work has begun on the area where the "Black Lives Matter" mural was painted on 16th Street, located very close to the White House.

The paving stones painted with the yellow lettering, which spanned two blocks, began to be removed today by Washington DC municipal workers using large drills.

Officials shared that after the removal process is completed, the road will be repaved with asphalt and reopened to two-way traffic.

It is expected to take approximately 8 weeks for the mural, which stretches across two blocks and is clearly visible from Google Earth, to be completely removed and for the road to be made operational again.

PAINTED DURING A PERIOD OF INTENSE PROTESTS

The Black Lives Matter mural in the capital was painted in 2020, during the height of protests by African American citizens, after police used chemical spray to disperse demonstrators in the area.

Last week, Republican Representative Andrew Clyde introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that would halt the flow of billions of dollars in federal funding to the Washington DC local government unless the square was renamed Liberty Plaza.

Following this development, Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that the large yellow letters, which had become a symbol of the city since the day they were painted, would be erased, and that they had made this decision as a result of pressure from the White House.

A group of Black individuals who came to the area where the mural is located protested the decision yesterday.

News Source: AA