Philipos Melaku-Bello talks to people during Peace Vigil in Lafayette Park across from the White House in Washington, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Demonstrators are seen during a Peace Vigil in Lafayette Park across from the White House in Washington, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Philipos Melaku-Bello, center left, and Will Rosin, center right, flash the V sign during Peace Vigil in Lafayette Park across from the White House in Washington, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. The U.S. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Philipos Melaku-Bello flashes the V sign during Peace Vigil in Lafayette Park across from the White House in Washington, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Philipos Melaku-Bello gestures the peace sign at the White House Peace Vigil in Lafayatte Park across the street from the White House in Washington, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Philipos Melaku-Bello, second from left, looks over a passerbys phone while at the White House Peace Vigil in Lafayatte Park across the street from the White House in Washington, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
White House Peace Vigil tent is seen in Lafayatte Park across the street from the White House in Washington, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Philipos Melaku-Bello smiles as he speaks to a passerby at the White House Peace Vigil in Lafayatte Park across the street from the White House in Washington, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
A decades-long peace vigil outside the White House is dismantled after Trump’s order
WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 Law enforcement officials on Sunday removed a peace vigil that had stood outside the White House for more than four decades after President Donald Trump ordered it to be taken down as part of the clearing of homeless encampments in the nation鈥檚 capital.
Philipos Melaku-Bello talks to people during Peace Vigil in Lafayette Park across from the White House in Washington, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
By Pablo Monsivais And Farnoush Amiri The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 Law enforcement officials on Sunday removed a peace vigil that had stood outside the White House for more than four decades after President Donald Trump ordered it to be taken down as part of the clearing of homeless encampments in the nation鈥檚 capital.
Philipos Melaku-Bello, a volunteer who has manned the vigil for years, told The Associated Press that the Park Police removed it early Sunday morning. He said officials justified the removal by mislabeling the memorial as a shelter.
鈥淭he difference between an encampment and a vigil is that an encampment is where homeless people live,鈥 Melaku-Bello said. 鈥淎s you can see, I don’t have a bed. I have signs and it is covered by the First Amendment right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression.鈥
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The White House confirmed the removal, telling AP in a statement that the vigil was a “hazard to those visiting the White House and the surrounding areas.鈥
Taking down the vigil is the latest in a series of actions the Trump administration has ordered as part of its federal in the city, which began last month. The White House has defended the intervention as needed to fulfill Trump’s executive order on the 鈥渂eautification鈥 of D.C.
Melaku-Bello said he’s in touch with attorneys about what he sees as a civil rights violation. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e choosing to call a place that is not an encampment an encampment just to fit what is in Trump鈥檚 agenda of removing the encampments,鈥 he said.
The vigil was started in 1981 by activist William Thomas to promote nuclear disarmament and an end to global conflicts. It is believed to be the longest continuous anti-war protest in U.S. history. When Thomas died in 2009, other protesters like Melaku-Bello manned the tiny tent and the banner, which read 鈥淟ive by the bomb, die by the bomb,” around the clock to avoid it being dismantled by authorities.
The small but persistent act of protest was brought to Trump’s attention during an event at the White House on Friday.
Brian Glenn, a correspondent for the conservative network Real America鈥檚 Voice, told Trump the blue tent was an 鈥渆yesore鈥 for those who come to the White House.
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鈥淛ust out front of the White House is a blue tent that originally was put there to be an anti-nuclear tent for nuclear arms,鈥 Glenn said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of morphed into more of an anti-American, sometimes anti-Trump at many times.鈥
Trump, who said he was not aware of it, told his staff: 鈥淭ake it down. Take it down today, right now.”
Melaku-Bello said that Glenn spread misinformation when he told the president that the tent had rats and 鈥渃ould be a national security risk” because people could hide weapons in there.
鈥淣o weapons were found,” he told AP. “He said that it was rat-infested. Not a single rat came out as they took down the cinder blocks.”
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Amiri reported from New York. Will Weissert in New York contributed to this report.
