Rep. Nancy Mace has revealed that a bill has been introduced to rename the Black Lives Matter Plaza to “Charlie Kirk Freedom of Speech Plaza.” She shared a video of Kirk at the site of the BLM Plaza where crews were removing a mural.
“The crews are out here removing this two block long mural of Black Lives Matter Plaza out here in the streets of Washington, D.C.,” Kirk says. “Nonsense here. Make America Great Again, getting rid of BLM Plaza.”
Mace captioned the video, “Prior to his death, Charlie Kirk himself visited BLM plaza and called for an end to what he termed "mass race hysteria," stating "Make America Great Again, get rid of Black Lives Matter Plaza." We introduced a bill to rename it the "Charlie Kirk Freedom of Speech Plaza.” This is for you, Charlie. No one deserves it more.
What to know about the Black Lives Matter Plaza
The Black Lives Matter Plaza, a two-block-long pedestrian section of 16th Street NW in downtown Washington, D.C., was renamed by Mayor Muriel Bowser on June 5, 2020, after the D.C. Department of Public Works painted the words "Black Lives Matter" in yellow along with the D.C. flag. This was done during a series of protests that took place after George Floyd’s death. The mural of the plaza inspired similar BLM street murals across the United States.
{{/usCountry}}The Black Lives Matter Plaza, a two-block-long pedestrian section of 16th Street NW in downtown Washington, D.C., was renamed by Mayor Muriel Bowser on June 5, 2020, after the D.C. Department of Public Works painted the words "Black Lives Matter" in yellow along with the D.C. flag. This was done during a series of protests that took place after George Floyd’s death. The mural of the plaza inspired similar BLM street murals across the United States.
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In March 2025, the plaza was removed amid policies against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) enforced by the Trump administration. Republican congressman Andrew Clyde demanded that it be removed and renamed as a condition of future federal funding for the city.
Plans for future memorials and redesigning the area, however, continued. The physical mural was gone, but plans and efforts to honor the legacy remained.
The decision to introduce a bill to rename it comes months after the Turning Point USA founder, 31, was allegedly shot dead by Tyler Robinson on September 10 during an appearance at a campus event in Utah. The shooting happened around 12:20 pm local time during a student Q&A at UVU in Orem, per a statement from Utah Valley University (UVU).