Published 01:50 IST, June 18th 2020
'Black Lives Matter' painted in yellow across Washington road now visible on Google Maps
The street was painted in huge yellow block letters on June 5 as the anti-racism protestors took to US streets following the tragic death of George Floyd.
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The 'Black Lives Matter' street mural on the 16th Street NW can now be seen on Google maps. According to international media reports, the street was painted in huge yellow block letters on June 5 as the anti-racism protestors took to US streets following the tragic death of George Floyd.
According to the international media reports, Google Maps has renamed the area as BLM Plaza and Apple also updated its maps feature to refect the change in name.
Over the weekend @googlemaps updated its street view to include the #BlackLivesMatter Plaza street art that was painted in early June (Google had previously relabeled the street, but the image was from before June 5th's addition) pic.twitter.com/WKMfHyKWnI
— Sasha Lekach (@sashajol) June 15, 2020
As the widespread protests reached White House, Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser decided to rename a street right outside the US seat of power as “Black Lives Matter Plaza.”
The section of 16th street in front of the White House is now officially “Black Lives Matter Plaza”. pic.twitter.com/bbJgAYE35b
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) June 5, 2020
George Floyd's tragic death has not only angered millions across the world but it has also fueled a fresh wave of protests in various US states. Several protestors also converged outside the White House shouting "Black Lives Matter" and "I can't breathe". The focus of the protests is the alleged institutional bigotry and consequent brutality in American police forces. Meanwhile, several police squads also joined the protestors in order to express their stand against police brutality and racism.
George Floyd's Death
George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, died in Minneapolis on May 26. As per reports, Floyd was arrested by the local police for unspecified charges on May 26. A tussle is said to have broken out between George Floyd and the police officials, which resulted in Floyd’s death after being subdued for several minutes by an officer. In a video that went viral on the internet, the officer was seen pressing his knee against Floyd's neck who was seen gasping for air before turning motionless.
George Floyd's death has triggered mass unrest in various parts of the US, giving momentum to the ''Black Lives Matter' movement. As per reports, police officer Derek Chauvin and three other officers - Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J Alexander Kueng - were later fired by the Minneapolis Police Department. Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
01:50 IST, June 18th 2020