Lincoln Memorial Vandalized With Green Paint

The Lincoln Memorial was vandalized early Friday morning when someone splashed green paint on the iconic marble statue honoring the country’s 16th president.

The chamber containing the statue, a 100-foot-high columned marble building had to close while workers took to cleaning off the splashed paint, according to CNN. The paint only reached part of the base of the statue and the left leg. There were no intelligible words or symbols.

Situated on Washington’s National Mall, the Lincoln Memorial is one of the most popular sites in the capitol. In 2012, more than six million people visited the statue, according to the National Park Service. Historically significant for a number of reasons, the Lincoln Memorial was the site of the 1963 March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

In the aftermath of the blatant vandalism, the National Park Foundation and WUSA9 are raising funds to prevent future defamation of national memorials and parks. “In the early morning hours of July 26th, the Lincoln Memorial was vandalized. Unfortunately this is an occurrence that is seen repeated in national parks across the country," officials from the National Park Foundation said in a statement.

"In honor of our nation's more than 400 national parks, the National Park Foundation is raising funds to protect and preserve the Lincoln Memorial and other national parks that have experienced vandalism."

To donate, text “PARKS” to 90999 to donate $10 or visit the National Park Foundation website to donate $5 and up.

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