Around 70 people gathered at the site of America’s first “White House,” near the Liberty Bell Center, to protest the federal government’s plans to remove information about the site and President George Washington’s ties to slavery.

The protest was organized to coincide with a visit to the Liberty Bell by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. The organizers, Avenging the Ancestors Coalition (ATAC) , pulled together the protest in about 12 hours after becoming aware of the official visit.

Michael Coard, founder and attorney for ATAC, led a nine-minute vigil for the nine enslaved people that Washington brought to the Philadelphia presidential residence, each of whose names are etched into the wall of the memorial. Before the nine minutes, Coard read out each name, asking the crowd to say “Àṣẹ”

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