The Washington Monument was defaced Tuesday night when a vandal wrote "Have u been fucked by this" in red paint, along with an arrow pointing up towards the phallic obelisk.
"Gov says tough shit" reads smaller text below.
An individual was arrested following the incident, according to Fox5 DC's Katie Barlow. According to Fox, the suspect is being charged with trespassing, tampering and vandalism.
VIDEO: One individual appears to be detained. @fox5dc pic.twitter.com/H6fQxaThH3
— Katie Barlow (@katieleebarlow) September 21, 2022
According to the US Park Service, the monument has been temporarily closed for an investigation and cleanup of the famous landmark built between 1848 and 1888.
Alert: Area around base of the Washington Monument temporarily closed. USPP have adult male in custody for vandalism. NPS conservators will work on restoration process.
— USPPNEWS (@usparkpolicepio) September 21, 2022
A spokesman for the National Parks Service told Fox that the graffiti echoes a similar incident on the nearby Lincoln Memorial, and may require a similar cleanup process.
"It’s very similar to the vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial in 2008 when a woman threw green paint at the base of the statue," according to Mike Litterst. "Same material, paint on marble is very difficult to remove. Like we expect here – that one took multiple treatments over a couple of weeks. But ultimately it was entirely successful."
via zerohedge