It will likely take a few more days to clean up the remaining graffitti and vandalism around D.C.’s Union Station where demonstrators gathered Wednesday afternoon in protest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington.
The National Park Service said Thursday that its preservation crew made great progress, including replacing three U.S. flags at Columbus Circle in front of Union Station where protests tore them down and set them on fire. The protests caused delays in transit.
“I’m deeply grateful to the United States Park Police for their professionalism and dedication yesterday, and for the support of the larger law enforcement community who assisted throughout D.C., including on national park-managed federal land,” National Park Service director Chuck Sams said.
On Wednesday afternoon, as Netanyahu made a fiery and scathing speech before Congress, protesters took to the area around the Capitol at the city’s biggest train station and used red, green and black spray paint to mark fountains, statues and walkways with symbols and words like “free Palestine” and “let Gaza live.”
Sams added that he also commended NPS staff for their actions to quickly clean and restore the “vandalized statues, fountains, and other features.”
The park service said cleaning the marble and stone of Columbus Circle is delicate and difficult because paint seeps into it. They use a chemical called “Elephant Snot” to loosen the paint before it’s power washed.
The National Park Service put up metal barriers around Columbus Circle, so its workers can pick up trash and treat and clean the marble and stone fountain, statues and walkways, as well as the Freedom Bell, a 2:1 replica of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.
‘It’s pretty bad’
The protests shut down some streets in the area and forced Union Station to close some of its entrances. Some people missed trains, unable to get into the station on time because of the protests.
People passing by seemed shocked by what they saw.
One man, Joe, told WTOP, “It should have been prevented, I don’t know why they’re allowed to graffiti so much, spray paint so much.”
Another woman — who did not want to give her name — said she’d “never seen anything like this, it’s pretty bad.”
Exiting Union Station into Columbus Circle, commuters stopped to take pictures. Some stood with their mouths agape.
At least 15 people were arrested in the protests at Columbus Circle, police said.
In a statement from U.S. Park Police, a spokesperson said the protest’s permit to demonstrate was revoked shortly after Netanyahu’s speech ended after serious vandalism and disregard for police instruction occurred.
D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith said the department will continue to support peaceful protests, but must hold accountable those who commit criminal acts while in the city.
Shutdowns will continue on Thursday as Netanyahu visits the White House.
For ongoing street closures, see our previous report.
WTOP’s Ciara Wells, Thomas Robertson and Kyle Cooper contributed to this report.
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