NYC Mayor helps paint BLM mural in front of Trump Tower; says 'uplifting Fifth Avenue'

The New York City has started painting another Black Lives Matter mural on the street, but this time it is situated right in front of the Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan. The NYC employees began painting a stretch of Fifth Avenue, in front of the headquarters of Trump Organisation on Thursday. Mayor Bill de Blasio had approved the mural in stark yellow colour earlier this month. The New York mayor rolled up his sleeves and joined the masked clad in painting the mural, flanked by civil rights leader Al Sharpton.

President Trump had tweeted saying that the NYC would be ‘denigrating the luxury of Fifth Avenue’ by painting the BLM mural. Reacting to Trump’s criticism, the Mayor said the city is not denigrating anything, but liberating and uplifting the Fifth Avenue. “By saying 'Black lives matter' we are righting a wrong,” he said.

This is the second time that a mural in large letters appeared outside one of Trump's homes. Earlier, Washington's Mayor had ‘Black Lives Matter’ painted on a street near the White House last month.

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‘BLM – a symbol of hate’

Donald Trump had rebuked the plan to paint the mural on Fifth Avenue, New York, and called it a ‘symbol of hate’. Shortly after NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said that he intends to have the words painted on the street where Trump tower sits, the US president said the idea would amount to ‘denigrating the luxury avenue’ and would also ‘further antagonize’ police. 

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Meanwhile, the NYC mayor reportedly also announced changes to the city’s police department. While speaking to an international media outlet, Blasio said that he is taking a billion dollars out of the New York Police Department. He also added that the authorities are also reducing the size of the NYPD, reducing overtime, and moving some functions, which will now be replaced by civilians handling them. 

While speaking about the painting of ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the ‘greatest street’, Blasio called it an ‘important message’ and said that he wants to President to hear it. Blasio reportedly also said that Trump has never shown respect for the three words. The NYC mayor further said that whenever Trump hears BLM, he presents a ‘horrible, negative reality of something that doesn’t exist’. 

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