A Washington, D.C., maintenance crew began dismantling Black Lives Matter Plaza, which will be replaced with a project celebrating America's 250th anniversary that includes artwork by local artists.
The move comes after House Republicans pressured Mayor Muriel Bowser (D.) to remove the plaza, which features bold yellow lettering spelling "BLACK LIVES MATTER" near the White House, as part of their goal to reduce "partisan abuses."
"The House Oversight Committee and the Trump Administration are working on delivering a number of reforms to make our nation’s capital safe and end left-wing pet projects," the panel’s chairman, Rep. James Comer (R., Ky.), told the New York Post. "This includes addressing partisan abuses by the District government such as Black Lives Matter Plaza."
Following the announcement, Bowser signaled that she would comply.
"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 posted to X on March 4.
The plaza was created overnight in June 2020 amid that summer's destructive riots. In October 2021, Bowser "cemented" it "into permanence."
"When we created Black Lives Matter Plaza in June 2020, we sent a strong message that Black Lives Matter, and that power has always been and always will be with well-meaning people," she said in a statement. "Today, we have transformed the mural into a monument."
The announcement noted that the project cost $4.8 million and that other additions, such as reconstructed sidewalks and benches, would come from a $3 million investment. Documents show that the additional funding came from federal COVID-19 aid money.
Anti-abortion groups sued the city in 2021 after two protesters were arrested for writing "Black Pre-Born Lives Matter" on a public sidewalk during an August 2020 demonstration. They argued that they received unfair punishment given that Black Lives Matter protesters who defaced public spaces were not also held accountable.
A federal appeals court agreed in August 2023, ruling that the D.C. government "discriminated on the basis of viewpoint in the selective enforcement of its defacement ordinance" and allowed the lawsuit to proceed.