PROTESTERS HAVE turned a fence intended to prevent crowds edging toward the White House into a memorial wall for victims of racial injustice

President Donald Trump ordered the wall be erected around Lafayette Square last week, following ongoing protests in Washington DC.

The square has served as a flashpoint throughout the demonstrations, and has seen a number of clashes between police and protesters.

On one occasion, they were forcibly dispersed with the use of tear gas to enable Trump to visit a nearby church.

Shortly after, an eight-foot fence was put up around the perimeter of the square with all other open spaces near the White House closed, according to reports.

Rather than tear down the wall and escalate tensions, protesters have transformed the barricade into a tribute to those who have lost their lives due to racism.

Hope and defiance

Messages of hope and defiance have been pinned to the fences, as well as the names of black men and women who have lost their lives to police brutality.

The memorial wall follows the decision to emblazon the words ‘Black Lives Matter’ along the street leading up to the White House.

Mayor of Washington Muriel Bowser arranged the painted slogan to stretch two blocks in the hopes of sending a message to the president.

She later renamed the street ‘Black Lives Matter Plaza’ and erected a new street sign to mark the occasion.