The barriers at the entrances to Pennsylvania Avenue and E Street NW, the Ellipse, and Lafayette Square have been a slap-in-the-face to many Washingtonians. After all, the White House and just about every building and monument in Washington D.C. serve as a symbol of democracy.
Not only that, but the very streets of our capital are where First Amendment rights protests have played out for well over 100 years. However, this week, according to the DCist, protesters could often be heard pressed up against the fence, chanting “This is what democracy looks like.”
Well, no one can ever say that through adversity, creativity is born, or something like that. The ugly steel barrier, meant to keep protesters from getting too close to our fearless leader has literally been transformed into an art installation/exhibition of sorts. It is a heck of a lot more beautiful than the steel bars people had to stare through.
Now, according to Mashable, and based on photos and videoes published in social media, #BabyGate is now “partially or wholly covered with signs of protest. Literal signs, I mean. So even when the protesters have dispersed, the protest itself lingers on – right where it’s most important for those grievances to be heard.”
“It’s like the whole nation is crying, and this whole fence is crying,” said Kai Gamanya, a surgical technician. “And if you were to back up and see it from beginning to end, it’s nothing but posters from all the way down.”
And while the line between protest sign and art is up to the eye of the beholder, plenty of both now adorn the fence’s exterior face. Here are a few more social media posts:
Meanwhile, the temporary White House complex fence is being put to use. pic.twitter.com/GTXMjKEJNV
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) June 7, 2020
The following video must be watched, please. It is despicable what these law enforcement officers did,
Some protesters, news crews, and medics in Minneapolis found themselves stranded after recent protests: The tires of their cars had been slashed.
Many assumed protesters were to blame. But videos reveal a different culprit: the police. pic.twitter.com/HH6uygLgoI
— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) June 8, 2020
Rhilip Rucker Tweeted: “Here’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.”
Here'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.” June 5, 2020
