Overview

• Workers began removing the Black Lives Matter mural on March 10, located near the White House and a symbol of the 2020 anti-racism protests.
• The mural had been a focal point of protests following the killing of George Floyd and was commissioned by Washington's Democratic mayor, Muriel Bowser.
• Mayor Bowser cited financial pressures and federal job cuts, driven by President Trump and his ally Elon Musk, as reasons for not contesting its removal.
• Republican lawmakers reportedly threatened to withhold federal funding unless the mural was removed and the area renamed Liberty Plaza.
• The removal has sparked criticism from residents who see it as erasing a significant symbol of racial justice and compassion.