New York City has begun painting a Black Lives Matter mural on Fifth Avene in front of Trump Tower.
USA Today reports: The planned mural had provoked the ire of President Donald Trump, who slammed the mural on Twitter earlier this month as “denigrating” the street, antagonizing the city’s police, and creating a “symbol of hate” on “New York’s finest street.” Mayor Bill De Blasio responded to Trump’s posts, saying “Black people BUILT 5th Ave and so much of this nation….we are honoring them.” Several cities across the country have painted murals in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, including Washington, D.C. which painted “Black Lives Matter” in 50-foot yellow letters near the White House to honor the protesters. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also renamed the location of the mural as “Black Lives Matter Plaza.”
More from Pix11.com: The NYC Department of Transportation closed off the avenue between 56th and 57th streets around 7 a.m. Thursday in preparation for the painting. The DOT said the block will remain closed to automobile traffic until Sunday, however the bus lane will be operational sooner. The mural was originally set to be painted last Thursday, July 2, but was postponed due to “logistics,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said at the time.
Watch a live stream of the progress below.
