In June, Black Lives Matter activists painted “Defund the police” on a street near the White House – a day after the nation’s capital mayor unveiled a mural of “Black Lives Matter” showing the same two- pieces street down.
Employers with the city’s public works department, who helped arrange the original work, renew the paint the next day. However, they left the message, now they read “Black Lives Matter = Defund the Police.”
But on Tuesday, the added statement, seen by some as anti-police, was removed.
Experts warn against eliminating police forces altogether, but noted that not all lawyers seem to be pushing for a total release. Some just want big reform, and others want to put more emphasis on community programs.
Some defense attorneys said taxpayer dollars could be better used for community projects – such as housing, jobs, schools, health care services – that address social inequality. They raise the question of whether a greater police presence really makes communities safer.
CORONAVIRUS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Black Lives Matter Plaza crashes in Google Maps directions.
The Black Lives Matter movement arose over the release of George Zimmerman, the Florida man who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in 2012. The expression itself was shortly afterwards conceived as a social media hashtag by three Black women: Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi and Patrisse Cullors. Soon it was widely heard during protests.
Today, the Black Lives Matter movement has attracted tens of millions across social media platforms and some have called it the largest protest movement in modern American history. A coalition known as the Movement for Black Lives, founded in 2014, now includes more than 150 affiliated organizations that have organized themselves to defuse such causes as police departments and reinvest in trouble with black communities.
Their agenda focuses on reviewing police training, the use of force and the punishment of alleged officers, and in some cases calls for the immediate dismissal of departments. The movement is also pushing to eradicate economic inequalities and disparities in education and health care.
