What Shia LaBeouf coordinated that was supposed to be a four-year long protest of President Donald Trump has been dismantled by The Museum of the Moving Image.
LaBeouf installed a live streaming webcam on inauguration day from The Museum of Moving Image in New York City to record people chanting the mantra "He will not divide us", 24 hours a day, seven days a week and broadcast on the Internet. This mantra is in response to Trump's presidency and how our nation has become divided as a result the election. What started out as a thought-provoking, unifying art project has escalated into violence, disturbing the peace and police arrests. Of those arrests were LaBeouf himself, just one week after the protest began. LaBeouf notoriously confronted a someone thought to be a white supremacist during this demonstartion which led to violence and police surveillance of the live streaming outside the museum deemed necessary at all times.
Because of these incidences the museum felt it necessary to take down the installation titled "He Will Not Divide Us", as a public safety precaution. The Museum of the Moving Image released a statement Friday in response to the end of this protest.
“The installation had become a flashpoint for violence and was disrupted from its original intent, " the statement read. "We take our commitment to the safety of our 200,000 annual visitors and 50,000 school children attending programs at the Museum seriously, along with the safety and security of our staff and community."
Their statement continued, "We are proud to have launched this engaging and thought-provoking digital art installation which was experienced by millions of online viewers worldwide. Until public safety concerns overrode the intent of the installation, HEWILLNOTDIVIDE.US generated an important conversation allowing interaction among people from many backgrounds and with different viewpoints, " they said. "However, ending our engagement with the installation is the most prudent path forward to restore public safety to the Museum, its visitors, staff, and the community.”
The installation lasted less than a month, out of its four-year plan. LaBeouf has not yet commented on its dismantling.