The United States Embassy in South Korea took down a large “Black Lives Matter” banner two days after it was first unfurled.
The embassy, located in Seoul, first posted a photo of the banner to Twitter on Saturday, along with captions in both English and Korean expressing solidarity with demonstrators calling attention to police brutality and systemic racism.
“The U.S. Embassy stands in solidarity with fellow Americans grieving and peacefully protesting to demand positive change. Our #BlackLivesMatter banner shows our support for the fight against racial injustice and police brutality as we strive to be a more inclusive & just society,” the tweet read.
The U.S. Embassy stands in solidarity with fellow Americans grieving and peacefully protesting to demand positive change. Our #BlackLivesMatter banner shows our support for the fight against racial injustice and police brutality as we strive to be a more inclusive & just society. pic.twitter.com/Y4Thr2MRdw
— U.S. Embassy Seoul (@USEmbassySeoul) June 13, 2020
Sources told Reuters that the flag was removed at the behest of President Trump, who was reportedly displeased with the display. The Washington Examiner reached out to the U.S. Embassy in South Korea and the State Department for comment.
U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris, a Trump appointee, had ordered the banner be displayed. State Department leadership asked the embassy to take down the flag because, according to CNN, Black Lives Matter is a nonprofit organization, and the U.S. doesn’t want to appear to promote contributions to any specific organization. A pride flag hanging at the embassy was also taken down on Monday.
An Embassy spokesman told the Washington Examiner that Harris’s intent “was not to support or encourage donations to any specific organization” but rather “to communicate a message of solidarity with Americans concerned with racism.”
“To avoid the misperception that American taxpayer dollars were spent to benefit such organizations, he directed that the banner be removed,” the spokesman said, noting, “this, in no way, lessens the principles and ideals expressed by raising the banner.”
Prior to its removal, Harris had retweeted a photo of the Black Lives Matter banner along with the caption, “I believe in what President JFK said on June 10, 1963 at American University: ‘If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.’ USA is a free & diverse nation…from that diversity we gain our strength.”
I believe in what President JFK said on June 10, 1963 at American University: “If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.” USA is a free & diverse nation…from that diversity we gain our strength. https://t.co/vpk2NbFoWl
— Harry Harris (@USAmbROK) June 13, 2020
Video footage released last month showed George Floyd, an unarmed black man, being pinned to the ground on Memorial Day by a white police officer for nearly nine minutes while pleading to breathe. Floyd died in police custody, and all officers involved in the incident have been charged with crimes. Protests began across the country as a result of Floyd’s death and have continued for weeks.
A poll conducted last week found that a 57% majority of U.S. adults hold a favorable view of Black Lives Matter, a sizable increase from when the same survey found only 27% of people supported Black Lives Matter in 2016.
