Protesters in Lafayette Square Park, just one block from the White House, sought to bring down the park’s statue of former President Andrew Jackson Monday, ABC news reports. Their effort comes as citizens across the country have called for the removal of statues and monuments honoring individuals linked to racism, colonialism, and slavery.
What We Know:
- Anti-racist protesters broke through the gate surrounding the 168-year-old statue which was spray painted with the word “Killer”.
- They climbed to the top of the statue and tied ropes around both Jackson and his horse before attempting to pull the statue down.
- Police dispersed the crowd forcefully, even using chemical irritants to remove the protesters.
- President Trump later tweeted that the protesters’ move was an act of “disgraceful vandalism” and warned of the penalties for committing such crimes under the Veteran’s Memorial Preservation Act.
Numerous people arrested in D.C. for the disgraceful vandalism, in Lafayette Park, of the magnificent Statue of Andrew Jackson, in addition to the exterior defacing of St. John’s Church across the street. 10 years in prison under the Veteran’s Memorial Preservation Act. Beware!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 23, 2020
- Jackson has long been criticized for his forceful displacement of Native American’s while president, many of which died in the process.
This is not the first instance of protesters taking a hands on approach to altering the representations of racism in our country. Earlier this month, protesters in Virginia’s capital tore down a statue of Jefferson Davis, who served as the president of the Confederate States of America from 1861 to 1865.
