The Lincoln Memorial faced temporary closure after pro-Palestinian activists defaced the monument with the phrase “Free Gaza” written in red paint.
The vandalism in question was discovered last Wednesday on the west side of the reflecting pool and Lincoln Memorial Center, according to ABC News. The U.S. Park Services quickly initiated the paint removal process, expecting it to take several days. They are also investigating the incident to determine who is responsible.
“National Park Service conservators have begun the process of removing the paint this morning, though it may take multiple treatments over several days to remove all of it,” the U.S. Park Service said on Wednesday. “The steps on the west side of the Reflecting Pool are closed to visitors while the conservation work takes place.”
By Thursday, the National Park Service announced that the clean-up efforts had removed most of the paint and that the monument had reopened to the public.
“The expert conservators on our staff removed most of the paint & latex on the Reflecting Pool steps yesterday and finished up with a second treatment this morning,” the National Park Service announced on X. “The Lincoln Memorial and other sites remain open to the public. Good work, team!”
This incident is part of a series of acts of public unrest carried out by pro-Palestinian and pro-Hamas activists in the United States since the start of the latest Israel-Hamas conflict. Last month, a large gathering of pro-Palestinian protesters at the White House demanded a ceasefire from Israel in response to attacks from the Palestinian terrorist group. Disturbing footage showed protesters vandalizing the White House gates with red paint, symbolizing blood, and placing Palestinian flags on statues in Washington D.C. One protestor in particular went viral for draping a keffiyeh scarf on a statue of Benjamin Franklin.
This piece first appeared at TPUSA.
