For over 40 years, a small tent across from the White House stood as a quiet but powerful protest against war.

Started in 1981 by activist William Thomas and later maintained by volunteer Philipos Melaku-Bello, the White House Peace Vigil became the longest continuous anti-war protest in U.S. history—a living symbol of free speech and peaceful dissent in America’s front yard.

That symbol is now gone.

On orders from President Donald Trump, federal police dismantled the vigil without warning—labeling it an “encampment” as part of a broader effort to clear homeless populations from D.C. The decision was reportedly prompted by a televised complaint that the vigil was an “eyesore.”

But this was not an encampment. It was a constitutionally protected expression of political belief. It posed no safety risk, housed no residents, and had stood peacefully for decades under multiple administrations, Republican and Democrat alike.

This was not about beautification. This was about erasing a visible reminder of protest and accountability from public view.

We, the undersigned, call on the National Park Service, the Department of the Interior, and D.C. leadership to:

• Immediately reinstate the White House Peace Vigil in Lafayette Square
• Publicly affirm the right to peaceful protest on federal land, especially in front of seats of power
• Reject the misuse of executive orders to suppress nonviolent political speech
   

The Peace Vigil may have been small, but its message was monumental. To tear it down is to send a message that dissent can be silenced on demand.