U.S. Park Police are looking to identify several people they believe were involved in vandalizing monuments and statues in protest of of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to D.C. at Columbus Circle. There has been significant process in the cleanup near Union Station. News4’s Megan McGrath reports.
A day after D.C. protests as Israel’s prime minister addressed Congress, crews worked early Thursday to remove vandalism outside Union Station, and several national leaders condemned property defacement outside Union Station and the burning of American flags.
"What happened at Union Station was vile, offensive, wrong," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told NBC News.
Thousands of people filled streets and chanted “Free, free Palestine” on Wednesday as Benjamin Netanyahu visited the District and delivered a speech on Capitol Hill. While the hourslong protests were largely peaceful, several people were arrested by D.C. police and U.S. Capitol Police, and Capitol Police deployed pepper spray.
The most disruptive behavior centered around Columbus Circle, outside Union Station. American flags were replaced with Palestinian flags, and members of the crowd set American flags, Israeli flags and an effigy of Netanyahu on fire.
The Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain was still covered with graffiti early Thursday. The words “Hamas,” “Free Palestine” and “Free Gaza” could be seen, in addition to profanity.
Some people outside Union Station said they were stunned by what they saw Thursday morning.
“Never seen anything like this. It’s pretty bad,” one woman told WTOP.
Workers using power washers began to remove the vandalism and could be seen in a photo replacing an American flag.
National Park Service Director Chuck Sams, in a statement, thanked conservators for their “quick actions to clean and restore vandalized statues, fountains, and other features and replace the American flags in Columbus Circle.”
The removal of paint from statues and fountains is expected to take multiple treatments over the course of a few days, the department said.
Anyone with potentially relevant information on who damaged property or assaulted officers is asked to U.S. Park Police at 202-379-4877 or by mail USPP_tipline@nps.gov.
'Pro-Hamas graffiti and rhetoric is abhorrent'
Several national leaders – both Republicans and Democrats – decried acts of vandalism and hate outside Union Station on Wednesday.
Vice President Kamala Harris condemned “despicable acts” by some protesters. In a statement, the likely Democratic presidential nominee railed against “unpatriotic protesters and dangerous hate-fueled rhetoric.”
Harris said she condemns “any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas.”
She said: “Pro-Hamas graffiti and rhetoric is abhorrent and we must not tolerate it in our nation.”
Harris said she supports the right to peacefully protest, but “I condemn the burning of the American flag. That flag is a symbol of our highest ideals as a nation and represents the promise of America. It should never be desecrated in that way.”
U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told NBC News, “"It is unacceptable to deface public property, desecrate the American flag, threaten Jews with violence or promote terrorist organizations like Hamas. Unacceptable. Anyone who engages in that activity should be held accountable to the full extent of the law. Not that complicated.”
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said on X, “Earlier today, pro-Hamas protesters took down the American flags at Union Station, burned them and raised Palestinian flags. Tonight, we righted their wrong. American flags are once again flying over Union Station. We will not let the terrorist mob win.”
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Just 29 U.S. Park Police officers “did everything they could to protect life and property” outside Union Station, the chairman of the department’s police union, Kenneth Spencer, said in a statement. He cited an “officer staffing crisis.”
“A small unit of 29 officers arrested 10 individuals while being assaulted by a mob of thousands,” he said. “We simply did not have the resources to accomplish a mass arrest operation.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
