On the same day that the White House barred reporters from CNN, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and Politico from a press briefing, a simple, stark message appeared in the sand at Coronado Beach.
A miniature White House was erected at the beach with a message from our third president: “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.”
Displays at Coronado Beach that reflect current events have become commonplace. In the past, they’ve mainly showed solidarity following tragic events.
After the Paris terrorist attacks and the Orlando nightclub shootings, for instance, sand castles emerged to show sympathy for the victims.
Bill Pavlacka, dubbed “the Sandcastle Man,” has been the artist behind those sand creations.
Pavlacka told NBC 7, he created the White House sandcastle and added the message for press freedom because of his concern over "the way that press has been painted recently."
"I thought that the Jefferson quote was powerful given that President Donald Trump attempted to use another Jefferson quote to discredit the news media. I think that people need to be reminded of the importance of the media, and with the blocking of certain major news outlets today, I think the message has become even more important."
