Construction halted after noose found at building site of Obama Presidential Center

According to the construction staff who are working on the Barack Obama Presidential Center, construction has been temporarily halted after a noose was found on the building site.

The Obama Presidential Center is projected to be a museum where the public can gather to celebrate America’s first black President and First Lady. It is being built in Chicago, Illinois, and is expected to take at least a couple more years to finish.

Lakeside Alliance, who are working on the project, has offered a reward of $100,000 to help find those responsible.

“This morning we were informed that an act of hate was discovered at the project site,” the builders said. “We reported the incident to the police and will provide any assistance required to identify those responsible. We have zero tolerance for any form of bias or hate on our worksite.”

“Anti-bias training is included in our onboarding process and reiterated during site-wide meetings. We are suspending all operations onsite in order to provide another series of these trainings and conversations for all staff and workers.”

The Obama Foundation confirmed that authorities are investigating the discovery.

“This shameless act of cowardice and hate is designed to get attention and divide us,” the foundation said. “Our priority is protecting the health and safety of our workforce. We have notified authorities who are investigating the incident.”

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker also condemned the incident, saying in a tweet: “Hate has no place in Illinois. The noose is more than a symbol of racism, it is a heart-stopping reminder of the violence and terror inflicted on Black Americans for centuries.”

He added, “I condemn this act of hate in the strongest possible terms, and the state of Illinois will make all needed resources available to help catch the perpetrators.”

The Chicago Police Department also issued a statement to CBS News saying that it “is aware of this matter and it is under investigation.”