Congresswoman Nancy Mace is seeking to rename the area once known as Washington, D.C.’s Black Lives Matter Plaza in honor of the late conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
On Wednesday, Dec. 10, Mace introduced the Charlie Kirk Freedom of Speech Plaza Act. The bill would redesignate the section of 16th Street Northwest between H Street Northwest and K Street Northwest in Washington, D.C., as “Charlie Kirk Freedom of Speech Plaza.”
“Three months ago, we lost a champion of free speech and a voice for millions of young Americans,” Mace said in a statement. “Charlie Kirk’s assassination was an attack not just on one man, but on the fundamental American principle declaring every citizen has the right to speak freely and engage in civic discourse.”
She continued, “By designating this plaza in the heart of our nation’s capital, we ensure Charlie’s legacy and his unwavering commitment to the First Amendment will never be forgotten.”
The area was designated “Black Lives Matter Plaza” in 2020 following the death of George Floyd. In her office’s statement, that period of protests for racial justice was described as having “became defined not by unity, but by chaos and destruction.”
“After Floyd’s death, America watched criminals burn cities while police officers were ordered to stand down. The men and women in uniform who tried to keep the peace were attacked, vilified, and abandoned by leaders who should have supported them,” the statement said.
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In March, Kirk posted a TikTok video from Black Lives Matter Plaza as workers removed the BLM mural, which he called “nonsense” painted on the street. In the video, set to Steam’s “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye,” Kirk claimed the removal symbolized “the end of this mass race hysteria happening in our country.”
“Make America Great Again! Get rid of BLM Plaza!” he told viewers.
Mace’s office contrasted the unrest that followed Floyd’s death with the public response to Kirk’s killing.
“George Floyd’s death triggered unrest which divided the nation and devastated the law enforcement community: more than $2 billion in property damage, more than 2,000 officers injured, and at least 25 Americans killed,” the statement read. “After Charlie Kirk was assassinated in cold blood, the nation responded with zero riots, zero looting, zero injuries, and zero destruction. Americans gathered in prayer, peace, and unity, exercising the very free speech rights Charlie spent his life defending.”
“Renaming this plaza in Charlie Kirk’s memory reflects those values: peace over violence, dialogue over destruction, and the First Amendment over mob rule,” the statement added.
While violent demonstrations did occur, a 2020 report by the nonprofit Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project found that more than 93% of Black Lives Matter protests in the months after Floyd’s death were peaceful.
“Our officers were assaulted, vilified, and abandoned in 2020,” Mace said. “This redesignation sends a clear message: we will always stand for American values and fiercely defend the brave men and women who wear the badge.”
Kirk was shot and killed during a campus event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. The right-wing media figure, who founded the conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA, was at his signature “Prove Me Wrong” table during the first stop of his American Comeback Tour in Orem, Utah, when a shot was fired. Videos from the event showed Kirk being struck in the side of the neck as he spoke to the crowd from under a white pop-up tent.
Two days later, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson was arrested on suspicion of the murder. He has since been charged with one count of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm and violent offense in the presence of a child, as well as two counts each of obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray has said he intends to seek the death penalty against Robinson.
