Key Points
Mural removal signals political shift for Bowser
Removal linked to federal job cut concerns
Original mural was act of defiance against police brutality
BLM activists criticized the move as performative
Bowser pointed to the change on the social platform X last week, writing: "The mural inspired millions of people and helped our city through a painful period, but now we can't afford to be distracted by meaningless congressional interference. The devastating impacts of the federal job cuts must be our number one concern."
https://x.com/MayorBowser/status/1897039109434364388
The move shows Bowser's striking shift in tone toward Trump and congressional Republicans since the President's first term in office.
https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1899269482960298159
Bowser, a Democrat, ordered the painting and renamed the intersection Black Lives Matter Plaza as a public act of defiance in June 2020. It came after days of chaotic protests at that location over police brutality following the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, as per VOA News.
Her approach to the protests then brought her into direct conflict with Trump. Trump had accused Bowser of losing control of her city and threatened to invoke his power to take over the Metropolitan Police Department. He didn't follow through but declared his own multiagency lockdown that included helicopters flying at low altitudes to intimidate protesters, as per VOA News.
Bowser publicly siding with Black Lives Matter activists in 2020 didn't earn her much credibility with them at the time. The local Black Lives Matter affiliate dismissed the move as "performative wokeness" and decried Bowser as overwhelmingly biased toward police. The same activists critiqued Bowser on Tuesday following her reversal, VOA News reported.
During Trump's second term, Bowser worked to avoid conflict and downplay any points of contention. She traveled to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate to meet with the president after his election and has publicly emphasized their points of agreement, such as a mutual desire to return federal workers back to their offices full time.
