The steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., were graffitied with the words “Free Gaza” in red paint, according to pictures shared to Twitter.
The graffiti was discovered Wednesday at the monument on the National Mall, according to ABC News. Videos on Twitter show the words “Free Gaza” and “Land Back” painted near the monument, and a splatter of red paint can be seen on the steps.
Pro-Hamas vandals have desecrated the steps of the Lincoln Memorial with graffiti. They are truly disturbed and disgusting people. pic.twitter.com/cETGZ8pSfM
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) December 20, 2023
“National Park Service conservators have begun the process of removing the paint this morning,” the U.S. Park Service told ABC News. The park service said it may take multiple treatments over several days to remove all the paint, according to the outlet.
The memorial has been temporarily closed and the investigation is still ongoing, according to U.S. Park Police, ABC reported. (RELATED: Pro-Palestinian Protesters Vandalize NYPD Vehicles With Antisemitic Slogans Outside New York Times Building).
Pro-Palestinian activists have graffitied and defaced Washington D.C’s Lincoln Memorial.
Graffiti included signs reading ‘Free Gaza’ and ‘Land Back’ alongside pools of fake blood.
The monument has been temporarily closed as clean up crews attempt to remove the graffiti. pic.twitter.com/ingcL6nd0V
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) December 20, 2023
“If you feel that you need to desecrate a sacred monument to get your political point across, it might be time to reevaluate your politics and probably your life in general,” Israel War Room, a nonprofit dedicated to combatting anti-Israel sentiment, wrote on Twitter.
“There are cameras literally everywhere around the DC mall,” Dave Rubin, a conservative Jewish political commentator, observed. “If they don’t catch who did this it’s because they don’t want to catch them.”
This is not the first act of anti-Israeli vandalism to strike the U.S. capital since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October. In November, the words “Free Palestine” were graffitied on numerous statues in Lafayette Square, ABC noted.
Democratic Washington Rep. Adam Smith said in a statement his home was vandalized on Nov. 30 by activists calling for a ceasefire.
“Last night, my house was vandalized by people advocating for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. This attack is sadly reflective of the coarsening of the political discourse in our country, and is completely unwarranted, unnecessary, and harmful to our political system,” Smith reported.