Thousands of white crosses bearing the names of people killed in South African farm attacks have been planted on the National Mall in Washington D.C., bringing the country's bitter dispute over violence against farmers and Afrikaners directly to the U.S. capital.
The White Cross Project, organized by South African think tank Lex Libertas, installed 3,000 crosses following a conference at Washington’s National Press Club.
Organizers say each cross represents a victim of a farm murder in South Africa since the early 1990s.
Lex Libertas Executive Director Ernst Roets said thousands visited the temporary memorial, including victims and their families, members of the public, researchers and representatives from the White House, State Department and other government agencies.
Italian influencer and campaigner Lorenzo Caccialupi, who traveled to South Africa earlier this year, said he had personally spoken to survivors of farm attacks and families who had lost relatives.
“I spoke with survivors of this farm attack. I spoke with people who have lost their family, their family members,” Caccialupi said.