Photos: Artist Installs More Than 200,000 Flags in DC, Symbolizing COVID-19 Deaths

Volunteers across the District came together to cover the D.C. Armory Parade Ground in Southeast with hundreds of thousands of white flags to memorialize the victims of COVID-19.

The public art project, titled "In America, How Could This Happen" was conceptualized by D.C.-area artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg and brought to life with the help of dozens of community volunteers, some who have lost loved ones to COVID-19.

The memorial is situated right outside of RFK Stadium, and it casts a somber reminder of the cost of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. 

As the death toll rises, the installation will continue to expand. Community members are invited to participate in the interactive exhibit by planting flags from Friday, Oct. 23 to Friday, Nov. 6.

An estimated 240,000 flags will be planted throughout the two-week public art project. As of Friday, the U.S. has reported over 224,307 deaths due to COVID-19.

You can watch the live feed of the installation here. Visitors must wear masks and maintain social distance.