Protest slogans and quotes from the Constitution were projected onto the entrance of Trump's hotel in Washington, DC.
The light installation was created by artist and journalist Robin Bell, who regularly discusses social justice in his works. Political messages stayed up on the facade of Trump’s hotel for 10 minutes. Hotel security then blocked the projector in Bell’s car.
Among the political messages on the hotel’s facade were “Pay Trump Bribes Here”, “Emoluments Welcome” and “Open 24 Hours” – a reference to a cheap motel. A clause of the Constitution saying that no officeholder shall accept any emolument without the consent of the Congress was also projected on the wall, as well as images of the Turkish, Chinese, Saudi Arabian and Russian flags. “(They are) the countries we know for sure are paying Trump money,” Bell says.
Robin Bell’s protest action followed a lawsuit filed by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The activists who protect the principles of transparency and accountability of the government accuse Donald Trump of violating the emoluments clause that bans federal officials from taking payments from foreign governments.
Bell’s earlier protests against Trump include projecting the letters IM onto the image of a peach, giving a transparent hint at Trump’s impeachment. During the celebration of Trump’s first 100 days as president, Bell projected a message onto the wall outside the venue that read: “Hey Trump. In your first 100 days, you've attacked our health, our environment and our economy. American's will not stand for these assaults. We won't let you ignore the overwhelming public support for climate action.”
A few months ago, he projected the faces of administration officials accompanied with the words “swamp monsters” and created a projection “Experts Agree: Trump is a Pig” onto the president’s hotel.
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