Chicago – September 07, 2025
Law enforcement officials dismantled a peace vigil outside the White House on Sunday, ending a protest that had persisted for over four decades. The action came after President Donald Trump ordered the removal, citing the vigil as part of homeless encampments to be cleared in the nation’s capital under a federal initiative to police and beautify Washington, D.C.
The vigil, which began in 1981 by activist William Thomas advocating nuclear disarmament and an end to global conflicts, was regarded as the longest-running continuous anti-war protest in U.S. history. After Thomas’s death in 2009, volunteers like Philipos Melaku-Bello maintained the tent and banners, including one stating, “Live by the bomb, die by the bomb,” to ensure its persistence.
Officials classified the vigil as a “hazard” to visitors, a claim disputed by volunteers who argued it was a symbolic demonstration covered under First Amendment rights, not a homeless encampment. Trump, reportedly unaware of the vigil until recently, acted after being informed by media that the site was an “eyesore” and purportedly a security risk, allegations volunteers denied, noting no evidence of rats or weapons.
Melaku-Bello announced plans to challenge the removal legally, asserting the action violated civil rights by mislabeling the vigil to fit political objectives. The dismantling marks the latest move in the Trump administration’s federal intervention in city policing and urban “beautification” efforts.
