Artwork honoring police removed from Connecticut Capitol — because it could offend Black Lives Matter

A wooden sign depicting the pro-police "Thin Blue Line" flag has been removed from the Connecticut state Capitol for fear of offending the Black Lives Matter movement, according to WVIT-TV.

What are the details?

In January, the State Capitol Police Department shared a Facebook post about the handmade wooden sign.

"The State Capitol Police Department donated a thin blue line flag which now hangs next to a portrait of the Connecticut Law Enforcement Memorial at the State Capitol," the post read. "SCPD will never forget the loss of officers who paid the ultimate sacrifice and their families."

The posting also featured a group of law enforcement officials posing with the wooden sign.

A month later, the wooden sign was gone.

WVIT's Shyang Puri writes, "What some say is artwork supporting police at the Capitol has been removed over concerns that it could actually represent opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement."

What was the reaction?

In response to the sign's removal, Democratic state Rep. Brandon McGee told the station that some of his constituents expressed their feeling of unease that the wooden sign was hung in the Capitol building.

"In the context of history behind it, a lot of my members expressed a lot of concerns, especially in this building," said McGee, who is also chairman of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus.

"We are not anti, you know, police, we support our men in blue — but we also know that given the history around black people, people of color with respect to this particular issue," he added. "I just think it was necessary to share our concerns with our leadership."

Fraternal Order of Police President John Krupinsky expressed his frustration in response to the artwork's removal.

"I'm saddened and disappointed that in the times we're in now that something like this could actually happen," Krupinsky said.

The Fraternal Order of Police also noted that they believe the sign's removal is an attack on police officers at large.

The artwork was placed in storage, where it remains, until it can be returned to its donor.