Two U.S. Park Police officers were injured and a park ranger was assaulted during a weekend anti-Israel protest near the White House that drew thousands of demonstrators who left a trail of graffiti-covered statues and trash in their wake.
The National Park Service undertook a clean-up operation in Lafayette Park after statues were defaced with spray-painted messages such as “Free Gaza” and “intifada revolution” at the Saturday demonstration organized by the Answer Coalition.
“The safety of our employees and our visitors is our top priority. National Park Service managers, in conjunction with local officials, engage in event planning to provide for public safety during permitted demonstrations,” an NPS spokesperson told The Washington Times.
“Unfortunately, yesterday’s permitted demonstration resulted in an assault of a park ranger, injuries to two U.S. Park Police officers, and significant damage to the park resources,” a spokesperson said. “Staff are beginning to assess the damage.”
U.S. Park Police did not make any arrests or issue any citations. Organizers estimated a maximum of 9,000 attendees on the NPS permit.
Those appalled by the mess included Sen. Tom Cotton, Arkansas Republican, and Sen. Tim Scott, South Carolina Republican.
“This is the disgusting, disgraceful behavior we’ve come to expect from terrorist sympathizers,” Mr. Scott wrote on X.
He linked to photos by Jon Hartley, founder of Real Time Macroeconomics, showing four spray-painted statues of historic figures, including the Marquis de Lafayette and Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau, both heroes of the American Revolutionary War.
“You had anti-American, pro-Hamas lunatics defacing and desecrating the statues of our great veterans, which is a plain violation of federal law,” Mr. Cotton said on “Fox News Sunday.” “But Joe Biden’s government allowed it to happen, and I bet we’re not going to see any arrests or prosecutions for violating that law.”
The U.S. Park Police Fraternal Order of Police said on X that a “severe shortage of U.S. Park Police Officers prevented safe and effective police operations.”
The White House issued a statement Monday defending the right to protest peacefully while also condemning violence and attacks on law enforcement.
“President Biden has been clear that every American has the right to peacefully express their views,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates. “But he has also always stressed that violence, attacking law enforcement, Antisemitism, advocating for the murder of Jews, any other violent rhetoric, vandalism, or endorsing terrorist organizations like Hamas are all repugnant, dangerous, and against everything we stand for as a country.”
Adrienne Elrod, Biden campaign senior adviser, said in a Saturday interview on MSNBC that “these protesters are exercising their right.”
“Look, this is the freedom that people have,” Ms. Elrod told MSNBC host Jonathan Capehart. “They have the right to protest. They have the right to speak their mind.”
This is the disgusting, disgraceful behavior we’ve come to expect from terrorist sympathizers. https://t.co/l1XQcvXjWe
— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) June 10, 2024
The NPS did not offer details on the injuries, but video posted online showed protesters throwing objects and shouting “f—- you, fascist” at a park ranger standing guard by a statue.
Protesters marched around the White House with a red banner to represent Mr. Biden’s “red line” on Israeli military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
They chanted slogans including “intifada revolution” and “We don’t want no two-state/We want ‘48,” referring to the state of Israel’s founding in 1948. Some activists also issued explicit calls for violence with chants such as “Hezbollah, Hezbollah/Kill another Zionist now,” as shown on video posted on X.
One protester was shown holding up a mask of Mr. Biden with fake blood on it. Some activists were shown waving and throwing smoke flares outside the White House, which was protected by additional security measures, including an anti-scale fence.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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