Numerous Washington, D.C., landmarks were the target of vandalism Sunday evening as protests in the nation’s capital over the police killing of George Floyd entered their third day.
Photos posted on Twitter by the National Park Service (NPS) showed graffiti on several monuments including the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial and the Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski statue in Freedom Plaza.
“In the wake of last night’s demonstrations, there are numerous instances of vandalism to sites around the National Mall. For generations the Mall has been our nation’s premier civic gathering space for non-violent demonstrations, and we ask individuals to carry on that tradition,” NPS said in a tweet.
Elsewhere in D.C., the Washington Monument was seen by TV helicopters engulfed by smoke as fires raged in several places near the White House.
Protests have raged in cities across the country over Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. Video footage showed a now-fired officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck for several minutes while Floyd said he could not breathe. The officer has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Monuments in several states were vandalized in support of the protests, and a Confederate monument in Birmingham, Ala., was destroyed.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) office did not immediately return a request for comment from The Hill regarding the damage in Washington.