Lose the Noose Campaign Gains Steam in Days Leading Up to Placerville City Council Vote
April 15, 2021
PLACERVILLE, Calif. — On April 9, Black Lives Matter El Dorado County launched an action outside the county courthouse to protest the town’s noose, advocating for its removal on the city seal.
BLM EDC has been advocating to remove the noose since the wake of the George Floyd protests in May 2020, explaining the noose is not a symbol of unity and serves as an unwelcoming signifier to Black and Brown families.
“It is hard to be optimistic about [removing the noose] as it has gone nowhere… [however] it appears that a resolution and time for change is happening,” said community organizer and activist Elizabeth DuBose.
DuBose hopes the actions taken by BLM EDC will bring about the political awareness needed to promote change within the community.
Placerville, also known as “Old Hangtown,” is a predominately white town where the “Hangtown Proud Boys” often take to the streets in opposition to Black Lives Matter El Dorado County and the movement’s ideologies. The action led by BLM EDC on April 9 was met with armed members of the Proud Boys, ready for confrontation.
The noose is displayed on the city’s seal and is featured in physical form around the town, with a realistic human mannequin hanging from a building downtown Placerville. On April 13, after over three hours of deliberation, the Placerville City Council unanimously voted for the removal of the noose on the city’s seal.
