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POLITICS Political provocateur Claude Taylor renames more streets for murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi

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From WUSA9, January3, 2019

Taylor has made his own "Khashoggi Way" street signs, and he's planting them where people who people he connects to the Saudi's death can't miss them.

Political prankster Claude Taylor is at it again.

It took just over a minute for him to carry out his latest caper, positioning a 150 pound realistic-looking "Khashoggi Way" street sign on the National Mall at 4th Street, right in front of the US Capitol. 

He's trying to get DC to officially change the name of New Hampshire Ave, NW in front of the Saudi Embassy to Khashoggi Way.

"I think it's making a point. Time will tell if it's making a difference,"  said Taylor.

The liberal provocateur has scattered signs across the city: at the White House, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump's house, and at Dupont Circle.

Taylor put his first Khashoggi Way sign outside the Saudi Embassy way back in early December. It has been there ever since, a constant reminder to the ambassador and other diplomats of the murder of Khashoggi inside the Saudi embassy in Istanbul, Turkey.

"This isn't specifically about politics. This is about the First Amendment and freedom of the press. And this is about one man's murder and the US government's role in that murder," said Taylor.

So far, DC has been reluctant to officially rename any streets in honor of the murdered journalist. Council Chair Phil Mendelson has cited a law that bars naming any public space after anyone until they've been dead at least two years.

"I've had conversations with various law enforcement," said Taylor. "Everybody has been reasonably supportive of our First Amendment rights."

Taylor has four signs left and he plans to keep planting them. But -- in hopes of staying out of trouble -- he won't say where ahead of time.

Taylor says someone already pried one of his signs off the pole in front of Jared Kushner's house. He suspects they were looking for a souvenir. Now he wants them bolted down with LockTite.  

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