National Guard troops were deployed to stand guard at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, to prevent further vandalism of the site after it was defaced with graffiti by activists over the weekend.
President Donald Trump called in troops to assist in securing the capital as ongoing protests over the death of George Floyd have been violent in the city and across the country for several days.
What are the details?
The Washington Times reported that “photos posted Saturday by the National Park Service showed spray-painted messages on the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial and the statue of Gen. Casimir Pulaski.”
The vandalized monuments were quickly cleaned by federal workers, but military personnel have been called in to make sure such destruction does not happen again.
On Monday, the president vowed to deploy the military and other federal resources to areas where state and local officials have not taken sufficient action to stop the looting and violence that has erupted throughout the nation.
On Tuesday, The Hill reported that “in an extraordinary scene, troops stood in separate rows along the steps of the monument as a throng of protestors gathered at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.”
The outlet noted that “troops from Indiana, South Carolina and Tennessee were expected to arrive by Tuesday night in the capital,” and “Maryland and Ohio have also sent troops to the District” while Gov. Ralph Northam (D) of Virginia denied the request for assistance from the Pentagon.
Protesters gather at the Lincoln Memorial | Lincoln Memorial protest
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WTF?? There are always guards there!
Where were they?