Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C., is in the middle of a tug of war between a Black Lives Matter (BLM) message and a conservative group. But BLM is not asking for her help.

The mayor permitted “Black Lives Matter” to be painted on a road leading to the White House before “Defund The Police” was added by vandals. Now the conservative group Judicial Watch has asked Mayor Muriel for permission to paint its own message on Washington, D.C., streets.

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Judicial Watch has asked Bowser and D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine for approval to paint “Because No One is Above the Law!” on a Capitol Hill street.

Judicial Watch President Tom Finton explains: “Mayor Bowser made a decision to turn D.C. streets into a forum for public expression. Judicial Watch seeks equal access to use this new forum to educate Americans by painting our organization’s motto and motivation, ‘Because No One Is Above the Law!,’ on a Capitol Hill street. This rule of law message is timely, as it is a reminder that rule of law applies to —and protects— all Americans. If we are unlawfully denied access and face viewpoint discrimination, we are prepared to go to court to vindicate our First Amendment rights.”

BLM did not paint the street and is not happy with the outcome: “This is performative and a distraction from her [Bowser’s] active counter organizing to our demands to decrease the police budget and invest in the community,” BLM said on Twitter.

The Democrat African-American political establishment is in control of Washington. But it is pulled in several different directions. There is the business community that wants the emphasis to be on the economy, as it was during the tenure of former Mayor Marion Barry. There is the political community of the city that is interested in smooth city operations and funding for their projects. There is a large number of black employees of the federal government who are interested in protecting their jobs and economic security. Finally, there is a new younger element that seek to challenge those other groups for leadership of the black community and for a larger share of political power in the district.

The controversy over the street painting has little to do with the street art itself and everything to do with the symbolism it expresses. The original “Black Lives Matter” paint-over was likely a sop by Bowser to the organization. They recognize that and will not be satisfied with such a minor gesture. The added “Defund the Police” could have been BLM themselves or an allied group. Bowser will probably not paint over it because doing so would be a political headache in her one-party town, as that sentiment is predominant with Democrats at many levels.

However, Bowser must still run the city and protect the people and the property of Washington, D.C. That can not be done without a properly funded police force. Thus it becomes a conflict between the operational necessities of the city and political messaging. Throw in the Judicial Watch request and that muddies the waters even further. Bowser will have to employ the political savvy and coalition building that got her elected in the first place in order to navigate through this issue.