A man was arrested for vandalizing the Washington Monument with red paint Tuesday evening, U.S. Park Police said.
They announced the arrest around 8:20 p.m. and have temporarily closed the area near the base of the monument.
Pictures of the vandalism posted on social media show a large splotch of red paint and the phrase “Have you been f—-ed by this, Gov says tough s—-.”
Vandals have defaced the Washington Monument tonight. One reportedly in custody. pic.twitter.com/b4pDINyFta
— Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) September 21, 2022
National Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst told WTOP it could take two to three weeks before the paint is completely removed. The restoration process is complicated by the marble’s porousness, which may have caused it to absorb more of the paint, he said.
WRC-TV reported that crews were seen cleaning the damage early Wednesday morning.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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