Overview

• Republican officials, led by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), are urging Mayor Muriel Bowser to rename Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington D.C., alleging that the movement openly supports Hamas, which they claim to be antisemitic.
• The GOP lawmakers pointed to posts from BLM chapters, especially one from BLM Chicago featuring an image of a person believed to be a Hamas terrorist, captioned 'I stand with Palestine,' which they argue delegitimize Israel and encourage attacks on Jewish people.
• Black Lives Matter Plaza, a two-block pedestrian walkway near the White House, was created following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. The area features a large street painting spelling 'Black Lives Matter.'
• Lawmakers assert that the BLM movement's endorsement of the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel stands against American values. They argue that keeping the plaza name and street painting is a celebration of a 'terrorist sympathizer group.'
• Over 20 senators and representatives have signed the letter calling for the renaming of the plaza. Bowser's office has yet to respond to the request.