Washington, D.C., has begun dismantling Black Lives Matter Plaza, the once-symbolic site of protests against police brutality, as city officials face mounting political pressure.
Starlette Thomas, a 45-year-old Maryland resident, returned to 16th and H streets on Monday, where she had once protested daily during the summer of 2020. As jackhammers tore into the bold yellow lettering, she quietly picked up a piece of pavement.
“To walk away with a piece of that means it’s not gone,” Thomas said. “It’s more than brick and mortar.”
Crews began removing the iconic “Black Lives Matter” street painting one block from the White House, a move D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced last week following pressure from congressional Republicans. The project, expected to take six weeks, will replace the words with city-sponsored murals.
The mural, commissioned by Bowser in June 2020, was a direct response to days of nationwide protests following George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer. Its removal now reflects the shifting political landscape under President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and Republican control of Congress.
Bowser, a Democrat, originally ordered the mural and designated the site as Black Lives Matter Plaza in defiance of Trump’s handling of racial justice protests. Now, however, she faces limitations on D.C.’s autonomy.
“The mural inspired millions and helped our city through a painful period,” Bowser posted on X last week. “But we can’t afford to be distracted by meaningless congressional interference. The devastating impacts of federal job cuts must be our number one concern.”
Among those witnessing the removal was Megan Bailiff, CEO of Equus Striping, the company that originally painted the letters.
“This is historically obscene,” Bailiff said. “Its presence is more significant at this very moment than it ever has been in this country.”
Far-right figures quickly celebrated the change. Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk visited the site, declaring it “the end of this mass race hysteria in our country.”
Since Trump’s return to office, Bowser has shifted tactics to avoid direct conflict. She met with him at Mar-a-Lago after the election and has publicly focused on areas of agreement. However, Trump has reignited campaign rhetoric about federal intervention in Washington, describing the capital as overrun with crime, graffiti, and homelessness.
Reports suggest the White House is preparing an executive order targeting D.C., though Bowser has not commented. Instead, she has pointed to Congress as the greater threat to D.C.’s Home Rule, which grants the city limited self-governance.
Congressional Republicans continue efforts to tighten control over D.C. governance. A proposed measure, the **BOWSER Act**, aims to revoke the Home Rule Act of 1973, potentially stripping the city of its remaining autonomy.
