Protest signs and artwork on the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence, Date: 04 October 2020
- Title
- Protest signs and artwork on the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence, Date: 04 October 2020
- Coverage
- H Street NW and 16th Street NW, Washington, D.C., USA
- Description
- Protest signs and posters on the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence, located on the north side of Lafayette Park in Washington D.C.
There is a shot of the sidewalk with the Washington Monument in the background and on the right-hand side of the image are posters that are stylized on a metal box that is on the sidewalk. The posters have a young black girl that has a pink ribbon in her hair and a pink mask and her clothing reads “DC Sparkle Squad”. The image of the girl reads “VOTE” and the second poster has an image of a young black man who seems to be in formal attire and the words under his portrait reads “VOTE”.
There is a close-up of a blue post-it note that was stabled to the edge of a different poster and it reads “The Vacine [sic] for Racism is Rebellion!” above this note is writing that reads “Who will Police the Police? DEFUND EM!”
There is an image of a piece of paper that is folded over on the ground and it reads “Breonna Taylor + George Floyd + Jamarion Robinson + Laquan McDonald + Michael Brown + Many Many Others I Cant Breeve [sic] by AKERUBIA13” with the signature of the person who wrote this.
There are pieces of Styrofoam that are covered in clear plastic wrap which reads “Justice For Elijah McClain” and there is a stylized image of him playing the violin with two cats in front of him. Another reads “US Police is Founded on Racist Principles [;] Defund and Replace with *Improved Health Services *Violence Intervention Programs *Affordable Housing *Adequate Education Funding *Reparations
Another has an image of a black woman with an afro and it reads “You Have To Act As If It Were Possible to Radically Transform The World”.
On a section of a wall, multiple posters read “Black Lives are sacred” “Black Lesbians: You are Loved ” “De-Criminalize Addiction Health issues are not Crimes. Fuck the War on Drugs.” Other posters read “Black Trans Lives Matter” “Las Vidas Negras Importan! [Black Lives Matter!]” “Know justice Know peace #BreonnaTaylor” “My Body Must Mimic Plastic To Spectators, Disposable By Design, As It Blows Away In The Breeze Succumbing At the Mercy Of The Officers Command – Will Kobus” and “Breonna Taylor (Louisiana, K.Y.) killed in her sleep police ‘went to the wrong house’ Ismael Lopez (Southaven,[illegible]) killed through his closed front door police ‘went to wrong house’ ‘he was illegal, he had no rights’ (Southaven Chief of police)”
A poster reads “I Matter I’m a King – BLM” and there are two spray-painted black power fists. Another reads “Black Lives Matter Rain or Shine” and there is writing on the wall that reads “Police Are Poop!” and “Stop Silencing Black Voices”
- Source
The Black Lives Matter Memorial fence was a temporary chainlink fence installed in the area north of Lafayette Park and the White House from June 2, 2020, until January 30, 2021. The fence prevented public access to the area, and it also served as an important site of protest and self-expression.
Activist Nadine Seiler played a crucial role in protecting and caring for the fence, along with Karen Irwin and other activists in a loosely-formed group informally known as the "Guardians of the Fence." Nadine Seiler and Aliza Leventhal systematically documented the fence over the course of months, and Seiler became the de facto curator of the fence.
Additional information:
Library of Congress blog post "Protest Preserved: Signs from D.C.'s Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence"
D.C. Public Library Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence Artifact Collection”- Rights
- Photographer: Aliza Leventhal
Images are collected in this archive for educational purposes and are not intended for commercial use. Reproduction rights for all images remain with the creators/photographers when we are able to identify them.
We seek to identify artistic creators when they want to be identified, and we respect their rights to protect their identity should they choose to remain anonymous. Please contact us if you are the creator of work in this archive and you wish to be identified or if you wish for your work to be removed from the archive. - Publisher
- Urban Art Mapping
- Date
- 2020-10-04
- Contributor
- MM
- Identifier
- UAM-GF_3714
Files
Collection
Citation
“Protest signs and artwork on the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence, Date: 04 October 2020,” George Floyd & Anti-Racist Street Art , accessed November 13, 2025, https://georgefloydstreetart.omeka.net/items/show/3714.