Good evening from Lincoln Park, on East Capitol St. in DC. Tonight a group of protestors led by @freedomneighbor are holding a rally calling for the removal of the Emancipation Memorial “by any means necessary.”
The memorial was paid for by freed men and women, but designed by a white artist. It’s depiction of a kneeling Black man beside Lincoln has always been... problematic at best. It’s installation was attended by President Grant, and Frederick Douglass spoke. google.com/amp/s/www.wash…
Organizers are keenly aware of @realDonaldTrump “Law & Order!” response, and the threat of jail time for those targeting statues. They think Trump is actually directing even more attention to their cause. Who outside of DC knew about the issues with this statue before?
And we’re underway. Roughly 1/3rd media and 2/3rds demonstrators. There are historical re-enacters here. Doesn’t feel like a tear-stuff-down crowd at all.
Demonstrators have given a couple rounds of speeches. Now they’re arguing amongst themselves about whose movement this is- younger or older. The organization is sort of falling apart.
This woman is arguing for keeping the statue up, for what it teaches about its own moment in time. “We need light, and not heat,” she says.
Protestors are back to arguing amongst themselves. Now the organizer- who happily taped an interview with me earlier - is lambasting the media as a tool of the oppressor.
Oh fun. @JackPosobiec is in the crowd, not wearing a mask, and the protestors aren’t having whatever he’s doing. Keeping my distance. This event is over. It was a mess. Now the ending is pointlessly tense.
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