WASHINGTON (AP) — Law enforcement officials on Sunday released a peace vigil standing outside the White House after President Donald Trump ordered it to be removed as part of the liquidation of homeless encampments in the country’s capital.
Volunteer Philipos Merak Bello, who has been staying up all night for years, told The Associated Press that park police removed it early Sunday morning. He said authorities justified the removal by mistakenly labeling the memorial as a shelter.
Philippos Merak Bello will display a peace sign at the White House Peace Rally in Rafayat Park, across the street from the White House in Washington on Friday, September 5th, 2025.
“The difference between camps and vigils is that camps are where homeless people live,” Merak Bello said. “As you can see, I don’t have a bed. I have a sign, which is covered by the right to first amendment to freedom of speech and freedom of expression.”
The White House confirmed the removal, and the Associated Press told the Associated Press in a statement that it is “dangerous to the White House and those visiting the surrounding area.”
Defeating the vigil is the latest in a series of actions the Trump administration ordered as part of the federal state Policing acquisition In a town that started last month. The White House defended intervention as needed to meet Trump’s executive order on “glorifying” DC
Philipos Melaku-Bello flashes V-sign on Sunday, September 7, 2025 at Lafayette Park Peace Viall, across from the White House in Washington (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Melaku-Bello said he is in touch with his lawyers about what he considers a civil rights violation. “They choose to call places that are not camps a camp to suit what is on Trump’s agenda of removing camps,” he said.
The vigil was launched in 1981 by activist William Thomas, promoting nuclear disarmament and the end of global conflict. It is considered to be the longest continuous anti-war protest in US history. When Thomas passed away in 2009, other protesters like Merak Bello turned small tents and banners read as “live bombs, die by bombs” into people to prevent them from being dismantled by the authorities.
During an event at the White House on Friday, a small but persistent act of protest caught Trump’s attention.
Philippos Merak Bello smiles as he speaks to passersby on a White House Peace vigil at Rafayat Park, across the street from the White House in Washington on Friday, September 5, 2025.
Brian Glenn, a correspondent for the conservative network’s Real America Voice, told Trump that blue tents are “eyejaculation” for those who come to the White House.
“Immediately in front of the White House is a blue tent originally placed to have anti-nuclear tents for nuclear weapons,” Glenn said. “It’s like being transformed into anti-Americans and sometimes anti-Trump multiple times.”
The White House Peace Vigilantes tent will be seen on Friday, September 5th, 2025 at Rafayat Park, across the street from the White House in Washington (AP Photo/Pavlo Martinez Monsivas)
Trump, who said he didn’t know about it, told his staff:
Merak Bello spread the false information when Glenn told the president he had a rat and said that “it could be a national security risk” as people could hide their weapons there.
“The weapon was not found,” he told the Associated Press. “He said it had soaked up into the rat. One rat didn’t come out when they lowered the cinder block.”
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Amiri was reported from New York. New York’s Weissart contributed to this report.
