Washington D.C. began demolishing its "Black Lives Matter" street mural after the White House issued an ultimatum to remove the artwork from a street just north of the presidential palace.
Construction workers equipped with drills and jackhammers got to work Monday morning, breaking up the concrete and stones that the enormous yellow letters had been painted over.
At least one protestor attended the removal of the mural, holding a simple pink poster that read "Black Lives Matter."
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser revealed on March 4 that her administration agreed to remove the mural after "congressional interference."
"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 impact 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 wrote.
Republican Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia filed a bill earlier this month threatening the city with loss of federal transportation funding if they did not agree to remove the mural, however Bowser told NBC Washington that her decision had already been made by then.
After protests began popping up across the country in response to the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed by a police officer in Minnesota, the mural was erected in D.C. The bold, yellow letters were commissioned by the D.C. mayor after peaceful protestors were reportedly cleared with tear gas moments before President Donald Trump walked nearby for a photo-op at St. John's Church, as reported by NPR.
The mural was created in June 2020 and unveiled on Breonna Taylor's birthday, a Black woman whose death also garnered national attention after she was shot inside her home during a botched raid by police in Louisville, Kentucky, that March.
Activists and supporters of the mural have condemned the removal, calling it a step backwards, while opponents of the sign say it created divisiveness.
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