Chicago’s Buckingham Fountain has reopened after it was vandalized by pro-Palestinian protesters late Friday night and into the early Saturday morning.
Chicago Parks Department employee Revealed In a post on Sunday, X said the fountain was “on and fully operational,” according to the Chicago Parks Department. Said The company said the fountains would be closed “for maintenance until further notice.”
When the fountain is running,Produce “The Grand Fountain Show takes place 20 minutes after every hour,” according to the Chicago Parks Department website. “During the Grand Fountain Show, water is sprayed 150 feet into the air from a central jet. The Grand Fountain Show begins daily at 9:00 a.m. and continues on the hour. At dusk, a spectacular light and music show begins at the hour and lasts for 20 minutes to coincide with the Grand Fountain Show.”
[UPDATE 6/23/24 at 11 am] :Our beloved Follow It’s on and working perfectly, please wait a moment.
— Chicago Park District (@ChicagoParks) June 23, 2024
Officials said pro-Palestinian protesters had dyed the fountain red. Spray painting According to NBC Chicago, signs on the ground near the fountain included “Gaza is Bleeding” and “Stop the Genocide.”
Protesters reportedly vandalized the fountain late on Friday night and into the early hours of Saturday morning.
The fountain’s red dye was reportedly discharged into Lake Michigan, the media reported.
Since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, pro-Palestinian protesters have held protests, camped out on university campuses and vandalized landmarks and statues.
In November 2023, pro-Palestinian protesters smashed open the doors of Grand Central Terminal in New York City and splattered the station’s facade with red paint. The New York Times building.
Protesters in Los Angeles vandalized several buildings near a synagogue in December 2023. Graffiti included phrases such as “Liberate Gaza” and “From the river to the sea.”
In April, protesters at an anti-Israel camp set up on the campus of George Washington University in Washington, DC, vandalized a statue of George Washington and wrote the words “Genocidal War-Provoking University” on the top half of the plaque on the statue’s base.
