President Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has been targeted once again, this time by critics who defaced it with several expletives, a bag of dog excrement and the acronym for Black Lives Matter.
Photos of the star with fresh spray paint surfaced Sunday as an estimated 20,000 protesters marched through Hollywood demanding justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and other victims of racial violence.
TRUMP STAR VANDALIZED AGAIN: The president’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was found covered with spray paint after an estimated 20,000 marched for Black Lives Matter. https://t.co/i035ArbbxF pic.twitter.com/rLvBiRJFL8
— CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) June 8, 2020
On social media, photos showed the street tile in several stages of ruin that appeared to be the result of a team effort. Some crossed out Trump’s name, others drew male genitals or wrote various curse words. At one point, feces seemed to be smeared across the surface. And eventually, the star was completely blacked out with spray paint alongside a giant, final “BLM.”
Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was blacked out amid #BlackLivesMatter protests. ⭐️ 🚫 pic.twitter.com/io6FcaKMNt
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) June 8, 2020
Trump’s star has, of course, been destroyed before — with spray paint, a swastika, a “mute” symbol, spit, a sledgehammer and a pick-ax, and more — at various stages of his presidency. Despite calls to remove Trump’s section of the walk altogether, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has stood firmly by its policy of preserving every star for historical value.
Trump has drawn sharp criticism for his response to the ongoing protests, especially when threatening to mobilize the military.
Sunday’s Hollywood demonstration appeared to be the largest of several overwhelmingly peaceful gatherings across Southern California this weekend, including a Compton protest featuring the Compton Cowboys, a spirited caravan of motorcycles and hundreds of sign-waving demonstrators.
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© 2020 Los Angeles Times
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