Pro-Palestine activists vandalized the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Red paint was spread across the stairs on the west side of the building near Lincoln Memorial Circle and the Reflecting Pool. The messages “Free Palestine,” “Free Gaza” and “Give Land Back” was spray-painted on a wall
The United States Park Police confirmed the incident and said the paint removal process was underway on the morning of Dec. 20. The area was temporarily closed. An investigation is ongoing.
“The incident comes amid a flurry of vandalism, protests and overall heightened tensions in the wake of Israel’s war with Palestinian militant group Hamas,” reports The Hill. “Several local offices in D.C., along with congressional members’ offices and other properties, have reported vandalism incidents in recent weeks.”
Demonstrators spray-painted “Free Palestine” on statues in Lafayette Square.
The Lincoln Memorial was also vandalized during riots in the summer of 2020 when Black Lives Matter protestors and other activists repeatedly took to the city’s streets. The phrase “Yall not tired yet?” was written in black near the monument’s steps.
In late October, the families of hostages being held by Hamas set up an empty table at the Lincoln Memorial to represent the people missing from their Shabbat celebrations.
The Lincoln Memorial was also the site of a pro-Palestine demonstration in May of 2021. More than 1,000 demonstrators gathered on the steps of the memorial as Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire after 11 days of fighting, per Asharq-Al-Awsar.
Washington, D.C. has been a hotbed for public demonstrations since the outbreak of the current Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7.
In November, tens of thousands of Pro-Palestine protestors demonstrated outside the White House. They chanted “Allahu akbar,” “F–k Joe Biden,” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” while carrying Palestinian flags. The protestors covered the pillars of the White House gates in red hand prints.
DC police circled the White House in a helicopter during the protest.
“Protesters also shattered the windows of a nearby McDonald’s, which was already peppered with pro-Palestinian stickers and spray paint,” reports The New York Post. “While the protest took shape in the nation’s capital, more than 1,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked traffic in Manhattan’s Herald Square, demanding a ceasefire, before the throng moved east to the United Nations, where the crowd swelled to 2,000.”
