The fascist Trump administration is actively targeting D.C.’s home rule and we must do everything in our power to defend it.

Trump and MAGA Republicans have launched multiple threats to strip D.C. of its right to self-govern. At the beginning of the 119th Congress, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, re-introduced the BOWSER Act to repeal the Home Rule Act of 1973. Some weeks later on February 19, Trump stated that his administration should govern the District of Columbia. More recently, GOP Rep. Andrew Clyde from Georgia introduced a bill to withhold appropriated funds to the District unless the Mayor removes the Black Lives Matter Plaza designation near the White House.

Mayor Bowser, who grew to national prominence in 2020 due to painting “Black Lives Matter” on 16th St. leading to the White House, is now caving to the new administration. Supposedly in order to protect the District from further encroachment by Republicans, her spokesperson came out saying that they will rename the street.

The District of Columbia CPUSA strongly condemns Mayor Bowser’s cowardly decision to yield to MAGA forces, making our city more vulnerable to further attacks. In our view, this capitulation will also encourage the MAGA right to go forward with removing Black Lives Matter murals and street designations around the country, as well as Black freedom symbols and statues.

Furthermore, after the Trump pardoning of the two D.C. police officers who murdered Karon Hylton-Brown, a young Black D.C. resident, the Mayor’s office and the Metropolitan Police Department reinstated these two officers, putting them back on the job. This is another example of Mayor Bowser caving to the new administration by putting killer cops back on our streets.

While Black Lives Matter street designations were not a primary demand of the George Floyd protests in 2020, their symbolism marks a period of struggle for African American equality in the United States. Their removal is part of a broader reactionary agenda to erase Black history, roll back diversity, dismantle anti-discrimination programs, and reinforce racial inequality.

We demand that Mayor Bowser reverse her decision to erase the Black Lives Matter Plaza. We demand she take a stand against the fascist right’s assault on D.C.’s autonomy and its Black residents, who make up a plurality of the population. The District deserves a mayor who will fight for its dignity and its people, who are under constant attack by this administration.

Image: Mayor Bowser stands with the late Rep. John Lewis on 16th St. leading to the White House, shortly after its redesignation as Black Lives Matter Plaza on June 7, 2020, at the height of the George Floyd protests. Photo by Mayor Muriel Bowser (X)

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