White men sue D.C. Mayor Bowser over Black Lives Matter mural
Three white men suing Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser claim that Black Lives Matter is a 'cult orthodoxy'
Three white men have sued Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for a Black Lives Matter mural painted on the street leading to the White House, according to a report from The Washington Times.
The group, among them a former military legal advisor, believe that the mural show favoritism over one race.
Former Judge Advocate General Chris Servier, lobbyist Tex Christopher and self-proclaimed street preacher Rich Penkoski filed a complaint in federal court alleging the large yellow block lettering violates the First Amendment’s establishment clause and calling Black Lives Matter a “cult orthodoxy.”
READ MORE: Trump calls D.C. Mayor ‘incompetent’ in clash over George Floyd protests
The suit also criticizes the mayor for renaming the street outside Lafayette Square “Black Lives Matter Plaza,” claiming that it’s a “legal weapon against non-observers of the Black Lives Matter religion” and seeks recompense for “mental anguish and emotional distress,” The Daily Mail reports.
#BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/OQg6977n5r
— Muriel Bowser (@MurielBowser) June 5, 2020
Bowser originally commissioned artists to paint the Black Lives Matter mural on 16th Street as a sign of solidarity amid nationwide protests against the death of George Floyd, who died at the hands of Minneapolis police while unarmed on May 25. She also renamed a street at Lafayette Park “Black Lives Matter Plaza.”
READ MORE: NYC Mayor to rename streets ‘Black Lives Matter’ in every borough
Christopher, Penkoski and Servier suggest in their complaint that the mural be removed and replaced with murals that say “All Lives Matter,” “Green Lives Matter,” in reference to the National Guard, or “Blue Lives Matter,” in honor of law enforcement.
In regards to the street sign, the three plaintiffs also suggest ‘Black Lives Matter Plaza’ be renamed, offering “Jesus is the Answer Plaza” as an alternative, according to the British outlet.
The nation’s capital has been one of the focal points of civil unrest across the country. President Donald Trump came under fierce criticism earlier this month after he ordered police tear gas and remove protesters from nearby the White House so that he could walk over to St. John’s Episcopal Church for a photo op.
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