Donald Trump’s administration has dismantled what is believed to be the U.S.’s longest-standing peace vigil across the street from the White House as part of its “beautification” program for Washington, D.C.
The vigil in Lafayette Park – a simple stand housing anti-war placards, which is shielded from the rain by a large umbrella – was first erected by activist William Thomas in 1981 to demand unilateral nuclear disarmament and has been manned by friends of the originator since his passing in 2009.
But the demonstration has now been taken down as part of the clearance of homeless encampments from the capital city that has been taking place over the course of the last month. Trump ordered a 30-day federal takeover of the district’s policing and sent in the National Guard and other federal agents to help tackle urban crime and litter.
The president’s attention was drawn to the stand last week by Real America’s Voice journalist Brian Glenn, who described it as an “eyesore” and told Trump: “Just out front of the White House is a blue tent that originally was put there to be an anti-nuclear tent for nuclear arms. It’s kind of morphed into more of an anti-American, sometimes anti-Trump at many times.”
Glenn also suggested its presence amounted to “a national security risk” and that it was rat-infested.
The commander-in-chief responded: “Take it down. Take it down today, right now.” Park Police duly did so on Sunday.
Activist Philipos Melaku-Bello, the current occupier of the vigil, said local authorities had misclassified it as a homeless encampment as the justification for its actions.
“The difference between an encampment and a vigil is that an encampment is where homeless people live,” he told the Associated Press.
“As you can see, I don’t have a bed. I have signs and it is covered by the First Amendment right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression.
“They’re choosing to call a place that is not an encampment an encampment just to fit what is in Trump’s agenda of removing the encampments.”
Melaku-Bello also refuted Glenn’s claims that his site represented any kind of a threat: “No weapons were found. He said that it was rat-infested. Not a single rat came out as they took down the cinder blocks.”
The administration insisted in a statement that the vigil was a “hazard to those visiting the White House and the surrounding areas.”
