‘My City Covered in Feelings’: DC Protest Art Reflects Experiences of Those Fighting for Justice

Graffiti art on popular Washington, DC, landmarks and a fence that was erected outside the White House on US President Donald Trump’s orders to keep protesters away has become symbols of the fight against police brutality, artist and activist Billie Krishawn told Radio Sputnik’s Political Misfits Tuesday.

‘Quite Beautiful’

On May 30, following a night of militant protests, buildings and walls across DC were covered with graffiti, especially on the plywood many businesses put over their storefronts after looting was seen in Minneapolis protests. Some featured the words “Fight the Power” with a painting of a black woman, while others included the phrases “Black Lives Matter” and “Am I Next?” 

However, that same day, crews began cleaning up the streets where the protest had taken place and covering up the graffiti with fresh, white paint.

“That art has been a reflection of what we’ve experienced. It has been proof and evidence that we were there on those streets fighting,” Krishawn pointed out.

​The White House Fence

In a June 5 news release, the US Secret service announced the “closure of the areas in and around the White House complex” and the erection of an 8-foot-tall fence around the White House to keep protesters  at least 600 feet away from the presidential mansion.

​However, it wasn’t long before the 8-foot-tall fence was adorned with so much art, it would have been difficult to erase it all. Posters, flowers, paintings and photos honoring black people whose lives have been lost due to racial injustice and police brutality decorated the wall until the massive fence was completely covered in artwork.

​Workers started removing the fencing around the White House complex on Wednesday, although Secret Service officials have said that other barriers will remain in place ahead of the protests scheduled in the city this weekend.

Sourse: sputniknews.com