Bowser signals end of BLM Plaza after GOP push to axe funding – Washington Examiner
Bowser signals end of BLM Plaza after GOP push to axe funding
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser suggested the city will be painting over Black Lives Matter Plaza after Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) proposed withholding federal funds to Washington if it is not renamed.
Black Lives Matter Plaza, the two blocks of 16th Street near the White House in Washington was designated as such in June 2020 amid protests following the death of George Floyd. The plaza features the phrase “Black Lives Matter” written in yellow paint along the road.
Bowser shared a statement on Tuesday writing that while the city “can’t afford to be distracted by meaningless congressional interference,” Washington will have a new mural project at the plaza for the district’s celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
Mayor Bowser released the following statement on the evolution of Black Lives Matter Plaza: pic.twitter.com/6dk8Jbc5ir
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) March 4, 2025
“We have long considered Black Lives Matters Plaza’s evolution and the plaza will be part of D.C.’s America 250 mural project, where we will invite students and artists to create new murals across all eight wards,” the Democratic mayor said.
“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. The devastating impacts of the federal job cuts must be our number one concern. Our focus is on economic growth, public safety, and supporting our residents affected by these cuts,” she added.
The statement comes a day after Clyde introduced legislation to rename Black Lives Matter Plaza to “Liberty Plaza,” with the bill requiring the withholding of federal funds to the district if the plaza is not renamed.
“I believe that removing BLM Plaza must be part of this critical effort. After all, BLM is a radical, defund the police organization — but we are not a defund the police nation. Yet the Left has allowed this deeply divisive slogan to shamefully stain the streets of America’s capital city for nearly five years,” Clyde said in a statement upon proposing the legislation.
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“It’s past time for Congress to exercise its constitutional authority over Washington’s affairs to remove BLM Plaza and rename the street to Liberty Plaza. Our capital city must serve as a beacon of freedom, patriotism, and safety — not wokeness, divisiveness, and lawlessness,” he added.
The plaza has been a target of Republicans since it was established in 2020, with congressional Republicans taking aim at it through different proposals that had failed to gain traction.
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