The words “Black Lives Matter” painted in a large yellow font can now be seen in front of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue on Thursday, a plan which was earlier criticized by U.S. President Donald Trump.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, along with his wife, Chirlane McCray, and Rev. Al Sharpton, took part in the painting of the “Black Lives Matter” sign.
In a video clip shared by New York City government on Twitter, de Blasio belied the previous statement of Trump where the latter said that the plan to paint the sign could ‘denigrate’ the luxury of Fifth Avenue.
“We are not denigrating anything, we are liberating Fifth Avenue,” he said, drawing cheers and applause from the crowd.
“When we say ‘Black Lives Matter,’ there is no more American statement, there is no more patriotic statement, because there is no America without Black America,” he added.
#BlackLivesMatter
That's a New York value. pic.twitter.com/OhgUZHtbzU— City of New York (@nycgov) July 9, 2020
Sharing a photo of them executing their plan, de Blasio also said in a tweet that they are not just painting the “Black Lives Matter” sign on the street, but they are “committed to the meaning of the message.”
Trump previously branded the “Black Lives Matter” sign as a “symbol of hate,” stressing that it will “further antagonize New York’s Finest who love New York.” He also said that the money they will be using to paint the sign should instead be used to fight crime in the city.
De Blasio had told MSNBC that he wanted Trump to see the sign because the President has “never shown respect” to such an important message.
“When he hears ‘Black Lives Matter,’ he presents a horrible, negative reality of something that doesn’t exist and he misses the underlying meaning that we’re saying we have to honor the role of African Americans in our history and in our society,” he said.
De Blasio’s spokeswoman Julia Arredondo also said Trump cannot run from or deny the “reality we are facing,” and that he should be reminded that “Black Lives Matter” every time he goes to his hometown.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, meanwhile, had clarified Trump’s remarks, explaining that his “symbol of hate” comment was meant for the organization that makes statements against the police.
“All black lives do matter, he agrees with that sentiment, but what he doesn’t agree with is an organization that chants ‘pigs in a blanket, fry ’em like bacon’ about our police officers, our valiant heroes that are out on the street protecting us each and every day,” she said.