Even after WMATA removed the flowers from the North entrance of Dupont Circle metro station, the community continues to rally behind Phantom Planter Henry Docter and sign his Change.org petition. Based on Docter's language, wherein he only cites Metro's threats of fines and imprisonment, this petition was actually created prior to Metro's decision to remove the flowers over the weekend as part of embankment repairs. However, that didn't stop an additional 3,000+ people from signing it in the 48 hours since the flowers' removal. In fact, when Change.org from sent an email blast in the morning's early hours, they highlighted this latest roadblock in their subject line. As of the time of publication, the petition has 7,566 signatures although Docter's tone regarding Metro's actions had turned rather stoic yesterday. As he told the Washington Post, "The flowers have been uprooted, but the memory of the gift remains in our brain, and that's something that no bureaucrat .?.?. can ever take away." Is 8,000 voices enough to bring them back?
· Metro: Let Our Flowers Grow [Change.org]
· Metro Rips Out Phantom Planter's Flowers at Dupont Circle Station [WaPo]
· Metro Says It Ripped Out Phantom Planter's Flowers As Part of Embankment Repairs [DCist]
· Flower Removal [CDC]
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