Dem-Run City Drops Six Figures to Repaint BLM Street Mural as Crime Skyrockets

The Washington, D.C., government dropped hundreds of thousands of dollars touching up its “Black Lives Matter” street painting as crime skyrockets in the Democrat-run city.

The refurbishment of the infamous mural, which Democrat Mayor Muriel Bowser initially painted in June 2020 as BLM protests were underway in the city and across the country, appears to have run taxpayers $271,231, including $217,680 in labor costs and $53,551 in paint supplies, according to documents obtained by Judicial Watch from D.C.’s Department of Transportation.

“DC crime is out of control but local leaders continue to waste $270,000 in tax money promoting the extremist Black Lives Matter movement in the heart of Washington DC that is racist, anti-police, anti-American, and often violent,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement.

According to the documents, the city contracted with D.C.-based vendor Equus Striping on the project. The company posted videos on its Facebook page showing its team “making progress on prepping the surface” of the BLM mural on Nov. 8 and shared the completed project the following day.

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The D.C. government doled out the cash to repaint the mural after slashing its police budget by millions since 2020. The city also has 400 fewer officers than three years ago, according to multiple reports.

Meanwhile, the nation’s capital has experienced soaring crime rates as its leaders have attempted to alleviate anxiety. Democrat D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson told the House Committee on Oversight in late March that while there are significant concerns regarding crime, residents should not worry.

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Statistics show that crime in D.C. remains exponentially higher than last year.

According to data from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, homicides have increased by 34% as of Nov. 28 over the same time in 2022, while robberies are up 68%, motor vehicle theft is up 93% and arson is up 125%.

Overall, violent crime is up 40% this year, while all crime is up 27%, the data shows.

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