Two political statues have mysteriously popped up in Washington, D.C., drawing crowds of onlookers, just a week before Election Day.
Last week, an unknown artist placed a bronze replica of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi鈥檚 desk 鈥 topped with an emoji-like poop, the size of a basketball 鈥 along the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol.
鈥淭his memorial honours the brave men and women who broke into the United States Capitol on January 6th, 2021 to loot, urinate and defecate throughout those hallowed halls in order to overturn an election,鈥 a plaque below the statue reads. 鈥淧resident Trump celebrates these heroes of January 6th as 鈥榰nbelievable patriots鈥 and 鈥榳arriors.鈥 This monument stands as a testament to their daring sacrifice and lasting legacy.鈥
Pelosi鈥檚 desk was at the center of one of the most iconic images of the January 6 insurrection, when a Donald Trump supporter who stormed the Capitol was infamously photographed with his feet on the desk.
On Monday, a bronze statue of a tiki torch appeared in Freedom Plaza, just a couple of blocks from the White House.
A Tiki torch statue called 'The Donald J. Trump Enduring Flame' at Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, October 29, 2024. (Rebecca Wright / CNN via CNN Newsource)
The statue, called 鈥淭he Donald J. Trump Enduring Flame,鈥 appears to mock the former president鈥檚 defence of the marchers who attended a White supremacist rally in 2017 that left a woman dead.
鈥淭his monument pays tribute to President Donald Trump and the 鈥榲ery fine people鈥 he boldly stood to defend when they marched in Charlottesville, Virginia,鈥 a plaque below it reads. 鈥淲hile many have called them white supremacists and neo-Nazis, President Trump鈥檚 voice rang out above the rest to remind all that they were 鈥榯reated absolutely unfairly.鈥 This monument stands as an everlasting reminder of that bold proclamation.鈥
While the artist 鈥 or artists 鈥 behind the statues remains unknown, a largely redacted permit approved by the National Park Service shows Civic Crafted LLC and Julia Jimenez-Pyzik requested permission to display the statues. CNN has reached out to Civic Crafted LLC and Jimenez-Pyzik for comment.
Groups of tourists and passersby have gathered at the statues to read the artist鈥檚 tongue-in-cheek messages and snap photos of the works.
鈥淚 think they鈥檙e very thought-provoking,鈥 Maryland resident Grace Denman said of the statues. 鈥淚t reminded me how angry I was about January 6 and the deaths in Charlottesville because of the White supremacists, so it brought back some of that energy and anger that has faded over time as we鈥檙e coming into a really contentious and possibly dangerous election.鈥
But not everyone seems to love the statues.
D.C. resident Paige Muller said she鈥檚 鈥渙verheard lots of people who aren鈥檛 from here, or maybe aren鈥檛 as politically engaged, and some people thought it was inappropriate.鈥
But Muller sees the art as 鈥済reat reminder of what鈥檚 at stake,鈥 saying: 鈥淲e have to do our part to make sure that another January 6 doesn鈥檛 happen.鈥
Since the statues鈥 sudden appearance, Pelosi鈥檚 nameplate has gone missing from atop the desk.
The statue 鈥 titled 鈥淭he Resolute Desk鈥濃 represents the heart of democracy, according to the permit. 鈥淲hen rioters broke in to destroy these ideals, this desk stands firm, so too must the principles of equality, justice, and freedom that it represents,鈥 it states.
National Park Service spokesperson Mike Litterst told CNN in a statement that permits issued by the agency 鈥渟pell out the specific conditions under which the event will take place to ensure public safety, the protection of park resources and to maintain a commemorative atmosphere where appropriate.鈥
鈥淭he National Park Service does not consider the content of the message to be presented,鈥 he said.
The statues won鈥檛 make it to Election Day. The desk is scheduled to be removed Wednesday and the torch a day later.
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