For more than 40 years, a small tent across from the White House symbolized America’s longest-running peace protest. On Sunday, federal officers dismantled it at President Donald Trump’s direction — a move the White House called a safety measure, but activists condemned as an attack on free expression.
The White House linked the removal to Trump’s order on “beautification” in D.C., which has also cleared homeless encampments.
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How did the removal happen?
The Washington Post reports that Park Service staff and federal officers came to Lafayette Square at about 6:30 a.m. Sunday. They tore down the tarp and makeshift supports that had been used to shield demonstrators. Volunteer Will Roosien, who refused to move, said he was briefly cuffed but released.
Video cited by the Post showed officers removing the tarp and leaving signs and other materials strewn across the pavement. “This is a disgrace, and you should all feel ashamed,” Roosien shouted at police.
Officials confirmed the tarp’s removal but said the vigil itself could continue without it.
What led to Trump’s decision?
The decision followed a Friday interview in which Real America’s Voice correspondent Brian Glenn told Trump the tent was an “eyesore.” Trump, who said he had not noticed it before, responded: “Take it down. Take it down today, right now.”
Philipos Melaku-Bello, a longtime volunteer at the vigil, rejected claims that the tent was unsafe or rat-infested. “As you can see, I don’t have a bed. I have signs,” he told The Associated Press. “It is covered by the First Amendment right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression.”
What is the history of the vigil?
Activist William Thomas launched the vigil in 1981 with signs urging nuclear disarmament. Supporters say it became the nation’s longest-running anti-war protest. Volunteers have maintained it around the clock to comply with Park Service rules.
D.C. delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton told the Post no previous president had directly ordered its removal. “The First Amendment protects peaceful protests, even when they’re seen as unsightly or inconvenient,” she said.
By Sunday afternoon, Melaku-Bello and other volunteers had reassembled signs and banners. “Hundreds of people have been by here today wishing us well,” he told the Post.
