WASHINGTON – Police are investigating after the National World War II Memorial was vandalized with spray paint and soap in the fountains on Thursday.
Bubbles in World War II Memorial
What we know:
Reports of the vandalism began surfacing around 3 p.m. Thursday.
Photos shared with FOX 5 showed a message spray-painted on the memorial in red and green paint saying, “Clean hands, dirty money.”
In addition to the spray paint, the memorial’s fountains overflowed with bubbles, after it appeared soap was added to the fountains.
U.S. Park Police officers have closed off the area and moved tourists away from the memorial.
Officials tell FOX 5 that they are investigating the incident as potential vandalism.
World War II Memorial construction
The backstory:
The memorial was closed for several months earlier this year, and reopened in mid-May. The $4 million renovation project included updates to the fountains and lighting.
Interior Department responds
What they’re saying:
In a statement to FOX 5, the U.S. Interior Department called the vandalism a “disgrace.”
“The World War II Memorial is a sacred place to honor the service of our members of the Armed Forces and the over 400,000 Americans who gave the ultimate sacrifice in WWII,” the department’s statement read. “The vandalism that occurred is an utter disgrace and will not be tolerated. Our U.S. Park Police are on the scene and the investigation is ongoing.”
Interior officials went on to vow that “we will find the person responsible for this disgusting act.”
The Source: Information in this story is from the U.S. Park Police and the National Park Service.