Clean-up efforts continue after Pro-Palestine demonstrators vandalize monuments, burn American flag to protest Netanyahu’s DC visit

WASHINGTON ( DC News Now ) — Clean-up efforts continued Friday, days after pro-Palestine demonstrators defaced parts of Columbus Circle.

Pro-Palestine demonstrators also set the American flag on fire on Wednesday as they protested Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to D.C. and address to Congress.

Vice President Kamala Harris condemned the burning of the American Flag in an X post, saying, “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.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson and others replaced the flag.

Johnson posted on X saying, “American flags are once again flying over Union Station.”

National Park Service (NPS) has been working to remove the graffiti and trash.

NPS said that graffiti on the marble is harder to clean than other surfaces like granite, so it may take a few more days for the markings to be completely removed.

Many visitors at the site called the destruction heartbreaking.

“I think that everybody has a right to protest, but to go around and deface like, monuments and stuff like that, I think that is a disgrace,” said U.S. Navy veteran Joshua Claussen.

The U.S. Park Police Officers’ Union said they had only 29 officers available during the protest. It’s calling on Congress to address the staffing crisis in the agency.

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