Protest signs and artwork on the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence, Date: 02 November 2020

Title

Protest signs and artwork on the Black Lives Matter Memorial Fence, Date: 02 November 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 stylized sticker of a pigeon that reads “Abolish ICE”. There is a gay pride flag that reads “Our Rights are Not Up For Debate” which is next to a large stylized image of a poster that has BLM on it using a brown color scheme.

Multiple posters read “Black Trans Lives Matter” “RESIST” “White Silence is Violence” “We Know Who Gave The Orders” “Arrest Trump” “Strongmen Abuse Power” “Black Lives Matter” “The Senate Is Steeped In Shame” “Remove Trump” “#DefundMPD” “#END[illegible]” “Trump Lies All The Time” “We Have Every Reason To Worry” “Join Campaign Zero” “We Are Better Than This” “Moral Emergency” “Trump Is A Danger To Us All” “Child Detention Camps Destroy Children” “Trump Is Guilty” ”Traitors” “Hello and #Fuck trump! To you as well.” “Amerikkka” “Yeah the Black Guy Did It” “Fuck Donald Trump”

A poster with a quote from Mike Lee, a Republican senator from Utah reads “’I have a daughter, a wife, a mother, and five sisters…if anyone spoke to my wife…the way Mr. Trump has spoken to women, I wouldn’t hire that person…I wouldn’t want to be associated with that person. It’s time for us not to settle, it’s time for us to expect more’ Mike Lee (R-UT)”
Many posters have the black power fist. Additionally, there is a green portrait of Breonna Taylor that reads “Say Her Name.”

A similar poster with a quote from Rand Paul, a Republican senator from Kentucky reads “’I think if no one stands up to a bully, a bully will just keep doing what they’re doing. Unless someone points out that the emperor has no clothes, they will continue to strut about.’ Rand Paul (R-KY)”

Another poster that has a quote from Mike Crapo, a Republican Senator from Idaho reads “’His repeated actions and comments toward woman have been disrespectful, profane, and demeaning. Trump’s most recent excuse…is inconsistent with protecting women from abusive, disparaging treatment.’ Mike Crapo (R-ID)”

There is an orange hoodie that is on the fence that reads “Trump/Pence #OUT NOW! RefuseFascim.org”.
In front of the fence are a ladder, speakers, posters on the ground, a chair, a cooler, and many containers.

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.

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Publisher

Urban Art Mapping

Date

2020-11-02

Contributor

MM

Identifier

UAM-GF_3742