The Sunday Scene @Layfette Square

 Every Picture Tells a Story ... A Vigil Restored (for now)


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Historic Peace Vigil Back After Trump Orders It Taken Down

"I have signs and it is covered by the First Amendment right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression"  -- Philipos Melaku-Bello  By   ASSOCIATED PRESS 09/07/2025 02:37 PM EDT WASHINGTON — 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’s 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. To keep reading, click here.
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GOP Congressman Wants Peace Vigil Gone, Wrongly Calls It 'A 24-Hour Eyesore'

 By  Marissa J. Lang The Washington Post  Just beyond the tall metal fence encircling the White House, visitors from Europe paused outside a makeshift shelter on the red brick of Pennsylvania Avenue to offer thanks to a graying man in a wheelchair. Then a couple from New Jersey approached with questions. A man asked to take pictures for his wife. Sometimes, a whole tour group would descend, all at once. Philipos Melaku-Bello is used to this parade of people. He’s been stopped here every few minutes — with questions, challenges, gratitude, offers for help and support — for more than four decades. Melaku-Bello, 63, is the longest-serving steward of the White House Peace Vigil, a 44-year protest calling for nuclear disarmament and an end to global conflicts. To maintain its position in Lafayette Square, just across Pennsylvania Avenue and visible from the north side of the White House, the demonstration must be manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Melaku-Bello spends mo...
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A 44-Year Ongoing Call for Peace Across from the White House in Lafayette Park Is Under Threat

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  The Origins (1981–1984) June 3, 1981  – The White House Peace Vigil was established by activist  William Thomas , launching a continuous anti-nuclear protest across from the White House in Lafayette Square  Wikipedia +1 . August 1981  –  Concepción Picciotto  joined Thomas shortly after the vigil began, becoming a prominent co-vigil keeper  Wikipedia +1 . April 1984  –  Ellen Benjamin  joined the vigil and later married William Thomas  Wikipedia +1 . 1981–early 1980s  – In the first three years, Thomas was arrested at least sixteen times for charges like “illegal camping” and “disorderly conduct,” reflecting early resistance from authorities  Wikipedia . Endurance & Legacy (1980s–2009) Over the  1980s and 1990s , the vigil persisted through numerous  global conflicts , severe  weather events (hurricanes, blizzards, heat waves, floods), and changes in administrations  The Washington Post Wikip...
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