A group of Democratic and Republican Congressmen are almost literally at war over the former’s insistence on hanging a painting in the U.S. Capitol depicting police officers as pigs, to the extent that some members of the Congressional Black Caucus are threatening violence against their Republican peers.

Every year, members of Congress hold an art contest for students in their districts. The members then pick their favorite and hang it in the corridor connecting the U.S. Capitol with the House office buildings. The painting picked by Missouri Democrat Lacy Clay depicts police officers with pig’s heads pointing guns at a black man with a dog’s head, while black men and women in the background protest.

When Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter saw news reports about the painting, he absconded with it with the help of “a few colleagues.” Hunter told Fox News that it made him “angry,” and that “the Congressional Black Caucus now stands for portraying cops as pigs in the US Capitol.”

Clay responded by threatening to sue Hunter unless he returned the painting, which Hunter eventually did. Clay said that the painting “perhaps” might violate the art contest’s rules (which ban politically sensitive issues), but it was the principle of the matter he worried about it. “This is really not about a student art competition anymore. It’s about defending the Constitution,” he told The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The painting was returned to its original place in the Capitol… only to then disappear again.

#Breaking Police/pigs art on CapHill on removed again after Cong Blk Caucus rehangs it. Hunter says he didn’t do it pic.twitter.com/KgFEci4Oco — Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 10, 2017

This time it turned out to be Hunter’s colleague Colorado Congressman Doug Lamborn. Politico’s Rachael Bade reports there was a threat of physical violence from Clay when Lamborn gave the painting back.

Rep Wm Lacy Clay says CO Rep Lamborn removed art a 2nd time & brought it to his office. Clay says he has now rehung painting again — Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 10, 2017

2) Sources said @LacyClayMO1 pretty much threatened 2 beat up @RepDLamborn when he dropped off painting. What is this Congress coming 2? — Rachael Bade (@rachaelmbade) January 10, 2017

The chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Cedric Richmond was even less subtle. “We may just have to kick somebody’s ass and stop them,” he told Politico.

UPDATE 4:54 PM ET: Fox News’ Chad Pergram provided an image of GOP Congressmen returning the painting to Clay’s office for the second time today:

Reps Rohrabacher/Babin take pigs/police painting back to Rep Clay's office. pic.twitter.com/VitINb0qJ2 — Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 10, 2017

Rohrabacher on Clay & controversial painting: If he keeps putting it up we're going to keep taking it down — Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 10, 2017

and Clay went and hung it back up for the 3rd time today.

Clay put it back up pic.twitter.com/ClY5MjWgCr — Joe Perticone (@JoePerticone) January 10, 2017

And, it's back up. Rep Clay rehangs controversial pigs/police art for 3rd time today. pic.twitter.com/Rp5C0YU2t6 — Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 10, 2017

UPDATE 5:49 PM ET: Reporters are now gathering at the spot to see if it gets taken down again.

Reporters staking out the "pig cops" painting. When will someone take it down next?? pic.twitter.com/fnqeu10ny6 — Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) January 10, 2017

[Image via screengrab]

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This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.