Post-protest clean-up begins at Columbus Circle near DC’s Union Station

WASHINGTON ( DC News Now ) — Clean-up crews have been making progress to restore Columbus Circle to its typical state after protesters spray-painted monuments, burned American flags and left trash behind during Wednesday’s demonstrations in support of Palestine .

Those protests turned violent, with about two dozen people arrested across the District, according to multiple local law enforcement agencies.

Monument restoration crews with the National Parks Service (NPS) had removed most of the graffiti and the mess left behind at Columbus Circle by Thursday afternoon.

NPS said marble is harder to learn than other surfaces, like granite, so it would take multiple treatments with special cleaning agents over the course of days to remove the rest of the paint and markings from the circle.

Washingtonians who stopped to talk with DC News Now crews Thursday morning said what was left behind wasn’t right.

“It breaks my heart as someone who lives here and loves this beautiful city. We need to respect it,” said Katie Phillips, who lives in Northeast D.C. “I think everyone has a right to protest, and should protest, but this is not the way to do it.”

Army veteran Bryan Wolfinger agreed.

“Damaging property to this extent and hurting police officers who are just trying to maintain the peace and keep people safe, that is not right,” he said.

Wolfinger said it was particularly difficult to watch videos of people burning the American flag.

“The flag itself is so beautiful. It means you can come to this country and become an American, you can’t do that in other countries,” he said. “To burn that flag is to burn that thing we all look forward to, the thing in our heart, to exercise all these freedoms that we have.”

Vice President Kamala Harris put out a statement Thursday calling those protesters “unpatriotic,” also saying in part, “Pro-Hamas graffiti and rhetoric is abhorrent and we must not tolerate it in our nation.”

“I condemn the burning of the American flag. That flag is a symbol of our highest ideals as a nation and represents the promise of America. It should never be desecrated in that way,” Harris continued.

Others who came by said what happened was a reminder of the country’s current climate.

“I believe we truly need to come together as a nation, regardless of religion, and come together for humanity and stop this hate,” said John Sluss.

The U.S. Park Police Officers’ Union said they could have used more help on the ground Wednesday. According to the union, only about 29 officers were there trying to control the crowd of thousands in Columbus Circle.

In a statement, USPP FOP Chairman Kenneth Spencer said, “A small unit of 29 officers arrested 10 individuals while being assaulted by a mob of thousands. We simply did not have the staff or resources to accomplish a mass arrest operation.”

He’s calling on Congress to pass legislation that will address what he’s calling a staffing crisis within the agency.

Other officers and law enforcement agencies were stationed nearby, including the Metropolitan Police Department which made four arrests at Columbus Circle.

The House Oversight Committee confirmed with DC News Now that it has called for a briefing from U.S. Park Police about what happened.

The National Parks Service says clean-up is expected to be finished this weekend.

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