The attack against American history continued Monday evening as police blocked protesters attempting to tear down a statue of Andrew Jackson in front of the White House.
Reporter Shomari Stone tweeted, “BREAKING: Metropolitan Police and US Park Police move demonstrators back from Lafayette Square Park. Two separate protesters tell me the groups want to tear down the Andrew Jackson statue near the White House. @NBCNews@MSNbc @nbcwashington”.
BREAKING: Metropolitan Police and US Park Police move demonstrators back from Lafayette Square Park.
Two separate protesters tell me the groups want to tear down the Andrew Jackson statue near the White House. @NBCNews @MSNbc @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/topGgjCjJi— Shomari Stone (@shomaristone) June 23, 2020
Another person tweeted, “Police have arrived at the White House where protesters were trying to tear down a statue and build an autonomous zone. Tensions are high”.
Police have arrived at the White House where protesters were trying to tear down a statue and build an autonomous zone. Tensions are high: pic.twitter.com/TFnkOR8cs6
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) June 23, 2020
The protesters attempted to set up a “Black House Autonomous Zone” or “BHAZ” near the White House at Lafayette Park, the Washington Examiner reported.
The attempted desecration was captured on videos posted on Twitter, showing the statue. Protesters attached ropes to it in their attempt to topple it.
One Twitter user tweeted, “#dcprotestors preparing to take down the andrew jackson statue in front of the #whitehouse at #bhaz #blackhouseautonomouszone #dcprotests #wadcprotests”.
#dcprotestors preparing to take down the andrew jackson statue in front of the #whitehouse at #bhaz #blackhouseautonomouszone #dcprotests #wadcprotests pic.twitter.com/qORwahqKhH
— holly (@hollySeaDC) June 22, 2020
Another tweeted, “Protestors in Washington, D.C. tearing down a statue of Andrew Jackson, the president responsible for the Trail of Tears and a hero to President Trump. Video courtesy of @jonathanchase_”.
Protestors in Washington, D.C. tearing down a statue of Andrew Jackson, the president responsible for the Trail of Tears and a hero to President Trump. Video courtesy of @jonathanchase_ pic.twitter.com/MH2t4m7MT9
— Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) June 23, 2020
In attacking the statue of Tennessee-born Jackson, protesters were protesting against the seventh American president, the first considered to be popularly elected by the people and the forerunner of the Democratic Party.
A statue of Jackson in Jacksonville, Florida, was vandalized with red paint Sunday night or Monday morning, News4Jax reported.
A Confederate calvaryman statue outside the Cordell Hull State Office Building in Nashville, where state legislators have offices and hold hearings, was vandalized.
Confederate statues have been removed in North Carolina.
American politicians and Confederate soldiers are not the protesters’ only targets.
Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King called Monday for the removal of statues, murals and stained glass windows that depict Jesus as a “white European,” which he claimed “are a form of white supremacy,” The Tennessee Star reported.
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Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
Image “Andrew Jackson Statue Targeted for Takedown” by Jonathan Chase.
