New York Mayor Bill De Blasio is installing a Black Lives Matter (BLM) mural infront of the famous fifth-avenue Trump tower as part of his plan to install BLM murals throughout the five different boroughs of the city, reports the New York Post.
Last week De Blasio unveiled the locations where the murals will be installed, along with the names of streets that will be renamed to honor the BLM movement.
“I ask all New Yorkers to recognize the power of this moment — that the city of New York is saying loudly, clearly, consistently black lives matter and we will back up that belief with action after action after action,” De Blasio said in his announcement.
US President Donald Trump voiced his displeasure at the story in a tweet, saying "Told that [Mayor] Bill de Blasio wants to paint the fabled & beautiful Fifth Avenue, right in front of Trump Tower/Tiffany, with a big yellow Black Lives Matter sign. 'Pigs in a Blanket, Fry 'Em Like Bacon,' referring to killing Police, is their chant. NYC Police are furious!"
The idea for placing the mural in front of Trump's tower came following two occasions. Earlier in the month De Blasio held a meeting with activists and community leaders such as the Rev. Kevin McCall and Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner.
Garner was an African-American man who was killed by police officers in 2014. He died after he was put in a choke hold during an arrest while screaming the words "I can't breathe," which later became one of the slogans of the BLM movement.His name is among the list of those that have been raised prominently during the recent police brutality and racial injustice protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, who also died in police custody earlier this year while uttering the same phrase.
The second event that led De Blasio to his decision regarding the placement of the mural came days after Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser had the slogan "Black Lives Matter" painted along the side of the street leading to the White House, according to the Post
Similary De Blasio plans on painting the slog in front of Trump's tower before his arrival on July 4.