Volunteers, Smithsonian want to save White House protest art

Volunteers, Smithsonian want to save White House protest art

SeattlePI.com

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Almost as soon as the towering black fencing was erected last week to seal off Lafayette Park, the barrier became an art gallery and a sounding board for the demonstrators protesting years of black deaths at the hands of police officers. Now, with expectations that the fence in front of the White House might be coming down, there's an effort to preserve hundreds of pieces of instant American history.

Both the Washington, D.C., government and several museums in the Smithsonian network have expressed an interest, but for now volunteers on the scene are working to gather up the items and keep them safe.

“We're trying to be as gentle as we can with everything,” said Natalie Casey-Sanger, a D.C. resident. “I've heard some people express hopes for long-term plans but nothing concrete.”

Casey-Sanger said volunteers started removing almost everything from the fence late Tuesday night out of concern that it would suddenly be taken down early Wednesday morning. The National Park Service originally told The Associated Press that most of the fence would be dismantled on Wednesday. But it later reversed course and said it was in “continuing consultations” with the Secret Service over the issue. On the other, southern side of the White House, parts of the temporary fencing were dismantled on Wednesday.

Hundreds of the signs and posters that hung on the fence still sealing off the park to the north of the White House have now been moved across the street and taped to the walls of a construction site, or strung together and hung from trees lining the street. At volunteer medical tents on Wednesday, the call went out for more string to continue hanging up the protest art.

The suddenly bare fence caused some initial confusion among visitors.

"When we...

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