They investigate mysterious marks with the number '86 47' on the National Mall
The White House denounced an act of "political violence," but a judge already considered the figure a protected form of expression
Federal authorities are investigating the appearance of huge markings with the number 86 47 on the lawn of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., an incident that has generated new political controversy around a numerical sequence that President Donald Trump's administration considers a threat, while a federal judge has determined that it constitutes a form of free speech.
According to reports from NBC News, the United States Park Police responded Thursday morning after detecting the discoloration in an area of the emblematic national park. Authorities reported that grass samples were collected to determine what caused the marks and announced the opening of an investigation.
The White House condemns the incident
The Department of the Interior described what happened as an act of vandalism that will not be tolerated. “The Department takes any threat against the President very seriously,” said a spokesperson for the agency.
The reaction from the White House was even more forceful. Spokesman Davis Ingle assured that anyone who supports political violence should be condemned.
“Anyone who participates in or supports political violence or the culture of murder must be condemned in the harshest terms possible,” he said.
The origin of the controversy over 86 47
The numerical sequence gained notoriety months ago when former FBI Director James Comey posted on Instagram a photograph of seashells arranged to form the number 86 47. He later deleted the image after criticism and denied that it had a violent connotation.
Trump is the 45th and 47th president of the United States, and some of his allies interpret the combination as a message against the president.
However, Comey maintained that he was unaware of that interpretation.
“It had never occurred to me, but I am opposed to violence of any kind,” he wrote then.
A judge considers it freedom of expression
The controversy took on a new dimension this month, when a federal judge ruled in a separate case that the number 86 47, by itself, does not constitute a threat.
The magistrate determined that a flag with that inscription could remain on land managed by the National Park Service because it is expression protected by the First Amendment.
The incident also occurs on the eve of massive events planned in Washington, including celebrations related to the 250th anniversary of the United States, which has increased attention on any event with possible political implications.