Surprise 29

Surprise 29 features photographs taken during the celebration of Juneteenth 2020 in Washington D.C. in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd and weeks after the repression of the protests near the White House.

On the north side of the White House stands in Lafayette Square the General Andrew Jackson statue. Due to overdoing protests in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd, the statue is fenced off. A few days later, protesters will try to topple it down.

Separated by Pennsylvania Avenue, appears the White House. A large printed vinyl covers its original fence to promote the White House Fence Replacement Project. An additional barricade has been added to distance the protesters. It is covered with all kinds of signs.

In the continuation of Lafayette Square is St. John’s Episcopal Church. A few days earlier, Donald Trump posed in front of it holding a Bible, In the operation police forcefully cleared the protest with tear gas. Concrete barriers divide the plaza and become soapboxes for protesters to give speeches. On the facade of the AFL-CIO union stands a large Black Lives Matter banner.

The rain didn’t discourage protesters and journalists alike to assembly on the street, renamed BLM Plaza for the occasion.