SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Signs are left in front of the White House's recently erected security fence now turned into a memorial against police brutality and the death of George Floyd, during a peaceful protest on June 7, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Jose Luis Magana/AFP via Getty Images)
'Whose Fence? Our Fence!': Trump's New White House Barrier Transformed Into Black Lives Matter Memorial
"It's so beautiful to remember, periodically, that the American people are hungry to express creativity and to march for justice."
Jun 08, 2020
As peaceful protests continued to flower and grow in U.S. cities and around the world over the weekend, a newly-erected security fence established around the White House in Washington, D.C. became what one reporter described as a "crowd-sourced memorial wall"--adorned with hand-made signs, posters, and other tributes--that offered a poignant rebuke to the president's "law and order" response to the demonstrations that erupted following the murder of George Floyd last month.
Since the new security barrier was established late last week, it has been adorned with countless protest signs calling for justice, declaring "Black Lives Matter" and "I can't breathe," and naming many other victims killed violently by law enforcement in recent years.
Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson on Sunday posted a video of the scene which has since attracted more than 5 million views on social media:
Speaking with DCist.com, Kai Gamanya, a surgical technician who participated in protests in the nation's capitol over the weekend, talked about hanging a painting he made on the fence and how uplifting it was overall to see the people transform the physical barrier into a symbol of protest and a tribute to lives lost and the justice now being demanded.
"It's like the whole nation is crying, and this whole fence is crying," said Gamanya. "And if you were to back up and see it from beginning to end, it's nothing but posters from all the way down."
\u201cThe 8-foot chain link fence protecting the White House has become a sort of archive / exhibition of the D.C. protests with signs, memorials, flowers and art.\u201d— Rebecca Tan (@Rebecca Tan) 1591478974
While Trump built a large portion of his political brand and 2016 president campaign on his desire to "build the wall" along the entire U.S. southern border, the irony was not lost on those who witnessed the nearly 1.7 miles of new fence put up to surround the White House last week.
\u201cHere's @ktumulty with a history lesson on White House fencing and this kicker: "A president who needs to take shelter behind fences and barriers because he feels threatened by his own citizens is not their leader. He is their prisoner." https://t.co/cOEROhWPh3\u201d— Philip Rucker (@Philip Rucker) 1591394241
But the manner in which demonstrators and visitors transformed the structure for division and separation into a symbol of revolt and passionate expression gave many observers a feeling of hope and pride:
\u201cIt's so beautiful to remember, periodically, that the American people are hungry to express creativity and to march for justice https://t.co/oGdXAzAsn9\u201d— Dr. Thrasher (@Dr. Thrasher) 1591574267
\u201cI can\u2019t get over this. Protesters in DC have turned Trump\u2019s disgusting White House fence into this \ud83d\udc47\ud83c\udffb https://t.co/b83DSVMIMf\u201d— Read Jackson Rising by @CooperationJXN (@Read Jackson Rising by @CooperationJXN) 1591555541
\u201cAt the White House\u2019s new fence. #BlackLivesMatter\u201d— Bruce Friedrich (@Bruce Friedrich) 1591578315
"Beautiful," said actor and activist George Takei in a one-word response to the video posted by Natanson.
"Whose fence?" tweeted Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. "Our fence!"
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
As peaceful protests continued to flower and grow in U.S. cities and around the world over the weekend, a newly-erected security fence established around the White House in Washington, D.C. became what one reporter described as a "crowd-sourced memorial wall"--adorned with hand-made signs, posters, and other tributes--that offered a poignant rebuke to the president's "law and order" response to the demonstrations that erupted following the murder of George Floyd last month.
Since the new security barrier was established late last week, it has been adorned with countless protest signs calling for justice, declaring "Black Lives Matter" and "I can't breathe," and naming many other victims killed violently by law enforcement in recent years.
Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson on Sunday posted a video of the scene which has since attracted more than 5 million views on social media:
Speaking with DCist.com, Kai Gamanya, a surgical technician who participated in protests in the nation's capitol over the weekend, talked about hanging a painting he made on the fence and how uplifting it was overall to see the people transform the physical barrier into a symbol of protest and a tribute to lives lost and the justice now being demanded.
"It's like the whole nation is crying, and this whole fence is crying," said Gamanya. "And if you were to back up and see it from beginning to end, it's nothing but posters from all the way down."
\u201cThe 8-foot chain link fence protecting the White House has become a sort of archive / exhibition of the D.C. protests with signs, memorials, flowers and art.\u201d— Rebecca Tan (@Rebecca Tan) 1591478974
While Trump built a large portion of his political brand and 2016 president campaign on his desire to "build the wall" along the entire U.S. southern border, the irony was not lost on those who witnessed the nearly 1.7 miles of new fence put up to surround the White House last week.
\u201cHere's @ktumulty with a history lesson on White House fencing and this kicker: "A president who needs to take shelter behind fences and barriers because he feels threatened by his own citizens is not their leader. He is their prisoner." https://t.co/cOEROhWPh3\u201d— Philip Rucker (@Philip Rucker) 1591394241
But the manner in which demonstrators and visitors transformed the structure for division and separation into a symbol of revolt and passionate expression gave many observers a feeling of hope and pride:
\u201cIt's so beautiful to remember, periodically, that the American people are hungry to express creativity and to march for justice https://t.co/oGdXAzAsn9\u201d— Dr. Thrasher (@Dr. Thrasher) 1591574267
\u201cI can\u2019t get over this. Protesters in DC have turned Trump\u2019s disgusting White House fence into this \ud83d\udc47\ud83c\udffb https://t.co/b83DSVMIMf\u201d— Read Jackson Rising by @CooperationJXN (@Read Jackson Rising by @CooperationJXN) 1591555541
\u201cAt the White House\u2019s new fence. #BlackLivesMatter\u201d— Bruce Friedrich (@Bruce Friedrich) 1591578315
"Beautiful," said actor and activist George Takei in a one-word response to the video posted by Natanson.
"Whose fence?" tweeted Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. "Our fence!"
As peaceful protests continued to flower and grow in U.S. cities and around the world over the weekend, a newly-erected security fence established around the White House in Washington, D.C. became what one reporter described as a "crowd-sourced memorial wall"--adorned with hand-made signs, posters, and other tributes--that offered a poignant rebuke to the president's "law and order" response to the demonstrations that erupted following the murder of George Floyd last month.
Since the new security barrier was established late last week, it has been adorned with countless protest signs calling for justice, declaring "Black Lives Matter" and "I can't breathe," and naming many other victims killed violently by law enforcement in recent years.
Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson on Sunday posted a video of the scene which has since attracted more than 5 million views on social media:
Speaking with DCist.com, Kai Gamanya, a surgical technician who participated in protests in the nation's capitol over the weekend, talked about hanging a painting he made on the fence and how uplifting it was overall to see the people transform the physical barrier into a symbol of protest and a tribute to lives lost and the justice now being demanded.
"It's like the whole nation is crying, and this whole fence is crying," said Gamanya. "And if you were to back up and see it from beginning to end, it's nothing but posters from all the way down."
\u201cThe 8-foot chain link fence protecting the White House has become a sort of archive / exhibition of the D.C. protests with signs, memorials, flowers and art.\u201d— Rebecca Tan (@Rebecca Tan) 1591478974
While Trump built a large portion of his political brand and 2016 president campaign on his desire to "build the wall" along the entire U.S. southern border, the irony was not lost on those who witnessed the nearly 1.7 miles of new fence put up to surround the White House last week.
\u201cHere's @ktumulty with a history lesson on White House fencing and this kicker: "A president who needs to take shelter behind fences and barriers because he feels threatened by his own citizens is not their leader. He is their prisoner." https://t.co/cOEROhWPh3\u201d— Philip Rucker (@Philip Rucker) 1591394241
But the manner in which demonstrators and visitors transformed the structure for division and separation into a symbol of revolt and passionate expression gave many observers a feeling of hope and pride:
\u201cIt's so beautiful to remember, periodically, that the American people are hungry to express creativity and to march for justice https://t.co/oGdXAzAsn9\u201d— Dr. Thrasher (@Dr. Thrasher) 1591574267
\u201cI can\u2019t get over this. Protesters in DC have turned Trump\u2019s disgusting White House fence into this \ud83d\udc47\ud83c\udffb https://t.co/b83DSVMIMf\u201d— Read Jackson Rising by @CooperationJXN (@Read Jackson Rising by @CooperationJXN) 1591555541
\u201cAt the White House\u2019s new fence. #BlackLivesMatter\u201d— Bruce Friedrich (@Bruce Friedrich) 1591578315
"Beautiful," said actor and activist George Takei in a one-word response to the video posted by Natanson.
"Whose fence?" tweeted Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. "Our fence!"
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.