By Tyler O’Neil
After protests over the horrific police killing of George Floyd devolved into riots that proved destructive of black lives, black livelihoods, and black monuments, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser decided she would permanently paint the streets with state-sanctioned graffiti reading, “Black Lives Matter.”
“Holy cow. The city of DC is out here on 16th [Street] behind the White House painting BLACK LIVES MATTER onto the streets — that it owns — stretching all the way to [K] Street,” The New York Times Emily Badger tweeted with a photo.
Holy cow. The city of DC is out here on 16th steeet behind the White House painting BLACK LIVES MATTER onto the streets — that it owns — stretching all the way to k Street. pic.twitter.com/PU7DW7XZHu
— Emily Badger (@emilymbadger) June 5, 2020
“This is also going to be a real middle finger to any federal forces flying overhead,” Badger added. Then she noted the permanent nature of the state-sanctioned graffiti. “This is the same paint the city uses to stripe road lanes. That’s not… temporary sidewalk chalk,” she added.
This is the same paint the city uses to stripe road lanes.
That’s not… temporary sidewalk chalk.
— Emily Badger (@emilymbadger) June 5, 2020
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Bowser celebrated the new paint job with a tweet commemorating Breonna Taylor, who was killed in a plainclothes “no-knock warrant” police action tangentially related to two suspects who were already in custody. This horrific police action was arguably no better than an armed home invasion. But like the horrific killing of George Floyd, it does not justify destructive and deadly riots, which Bowser downplayed.