THE WORDS 'Black Lives Matter' have been painted in huge letters on the street outside Trump Tower in New York City.
On Thursday, a stretch of Fifth Avenue was shut down so that the mural could be put there.
New York City mayor Bill de Blasio was on hand to help as he and a number of activists painted the slogan in giant yellow letters in front of the President's massive skyscraper.
Taking to Twitter, Trump described the mural as "a symbol of hate" and said it would "denigrating" the otherwise expensive-looking and luxurious Fifth Avenue, known for its high-end shopping and plush apartment buildings.
Mayor de Blasio hit back, tweeting: "Here's what you don't understand: Black people BUILT 5th Ave and so much of this nation. Your 'luxury' came from THEIR labor, fro which they have never been justly compensated. We are honoring them.
New York City paints a Black Lives Matter mural on the street directly outside of Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan https://t.co/AzJWww6FdN pic.twitter.com/IvlvMaycOL
— CNN International (@cnni) July 10, 2020
"The fact that you see it as denigrating your street is the definition of racism."
De Blasio announced plans to put the mural up last month, and in a tweet on Thursday wrote: "Our city isn't just painting the words on Fifth Avenue. We're committed to the meaning of the message."
In a phone interview with Fox News, Trump appeared to suggest that de Blasio was being ungrateful for the federal assistance amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"I was very nice to Mayor de Blasio," Trump said.
"I got that man everything, I spoke to him many times. He couldn't have been nice, and then he throws a big 'Black Lives Matter' sign right down in the middle of Fifth Avenue."
From Fifth Avenue to Fulton Street to Richmond Terrace, NYC has a message for the world: #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/wtkzCHpURm
— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) July 9, 2020
De Blasio has come into criticism in the aftermath of his involvement yesterday. New York City has seen more than 23,000 deaths from Covid-19 and some are angry that the mayor is spending his time painting the street when he could be helping in the struggle against coronavirus.
