George Washington Statue Defaced, Covered at Namesake University
The George Washington statue at its namesake university was vandalized and defaced by protesters participating in the “Gaza liberation zone” encampment on campus on the Washington D.C. campus.
Authorities allowed the statue to remain covered in Palestinian flags, stickers, and spray paint reading “Genocidal warmongering university,” among other demeaning slogans, for approximately two weeks. Protesters also placed a keffiyeh, a traditionally Middle Eastern head garb, on the statue’s face.
The statue of Washington, a bronze cast of an identical statue standing at the Virginia State Capitol, was purchased by the university in 1932.
After the city officials initially declined to intervene in the protests, a spokesperson for George Washington University, Josh Grossman, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that the school planned to “engage on restoring the statue with professionals who are best equipped to manage this work when we are ready to proceed.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, after having been summoned to testify Wednesday afternoon before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, allowed police to make arrests on the campus. The hearing was then called off after police arrested dozens of protesters and cleared the encampment on George Washington University’s (GWU) campus, the statue was reportedly covered by a white sheet that was wrapped around the statue.
“Our response to demonstrations is always rooted in public safety and responsibility,” Mayor Bowser explained. She and the Metropolitan Police Chief allowed officers to respond when “the protest was becoming more volatile and less stable.”
According to Fox News, 33 protesters were arrested for various charges including assault on a police officer and unlawful entry. Officers also confirmed that pepper spray was used against protesters outside the encampment who reportedly attempted to break through police lines.
In a statement, the GWU said, “While the university is committed to protecting students’ rights to free expression, the encampment had evolved into an unlawful activity, with participants in direct violation of multiple university policies and city regulations.”
