As protests rage across both the USA and the rest of the world in response to the death of George Floyd, the mayor of Washington, DC enlisted city workers and protesters to paint a huge Black Lives Matter sign on the street that leads to the White House.
Sixteenth Street leads straight to the residence of the President, and has been used heavily over the past week by protesters calling for racial justice and those who are angry at the police brutality that has been reported since the protests first erupted.
The three words - the name of the human rights movement that campaigns against violence and systemic racism towards black people - were painted in bright yellow and span two blocks, making them easy to spot both on the ground and from above.
John Falcicchio, the chief of staff for Mayor Bowser, took to Twitter to explain why the mayor made the decision to paint the mural.
He wrote: "There was a dispute this week about whose street this is. Mayor Bowser wanted to make it abundantly clear that this is DC's street and to honor demonstrators who [were] peacefully protesting on Monday evening."
Not only that, but on Friday Mayor Bowser showed further solidarity with the movement and the protesters when she announced that the street would be renamed to Black Lives Matter Plaza.
She said: "We want to call attention today to making sure our nation is more fair and more just and that black lives and black humanity matter in our nation."
Emily Badger, a journalist from the New York Times, tweeted a picture of the mural, along with the following caption: "Holy cow. The city of DC is out here on 16th street behind the White House painting BLACK LIVES MATTER onto the streets - that it owns - stretching all the way to k Street."
She also explained that the paint used is the same the city uses to 'stripe road lanes', so is therefore permanent.
She added: "This is a Department of Public Works project, and some of the city employees here include sanitation workers who were downtown overnight cleaning the streets and stayed off the clock this morning to help paint."
As yet, there has been no official comment from President Trump about the mural, but the Washington DC chapter of Black Lives Matter did make the following statement via Twitter: "This is a performative distraction from real policy changes.
"Bowser has consistently been on the wrong side of BLMDC history. This is to appease white liberals while ignoring our demands. Black Lives Matter means defund the police."
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Black Lives Matter, US News
