Buckingham Fountain in Chicago was reopened after it was vandalized by pro-Palestinian protesters late Friday night and early Saturday morning. The fountain, which typically produces a major water display every hour, was dyed red and spray-painted with phrases such as “Gaza is bleeding” and “stop the genocide” near the fountain.
According to NBC Chicago, the vandalism occurred late Friday night and into early Saturday morning. The red dye in the fountain was reportedly drained into Lake Michigan. The Chicago Park District website describes the fountain’s water display, which includes a 150-foot-high center jet and a light and music show that begins at dusk.
Pro-Palestinian protesters have been staging protests, setting up encampments on university and college campuses, and vandalizing landmarks and statues since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of over 1,200 people and the abduction of more than 250.
Recent incidents include the smashing of a door at Grand Central Station in New York City and the splattering of red paint on the New York Times building in November 2023. In December 2023, protesters in Los Angeles vandalized several buildings near synagogues, leaving graffiti with messages such as “Free Gaza” and “From the River to the Sea.”
Additionally, an anti-Israel encampment on the campus of George Washington University in Washington, DC, in April vandalized a statue of George Washington and painted the words “Genocidal Warmongering University” across the top half of the statue’s plaque.
