The Biden administration is “failing” to protect federal property from wanton destruction by left-wing protesters, a conservative government watchdog says.
Michael Chamberlain of the nonprofit Protect the Publics Trust said in a letter Thursday morning to the Department of the Interior (DOI) inspector general that some of the protests ended in some kind of disturbance to land or cultural symbols. We have outlined some cases.
In October 2021, a protest group occupied the DOI headquarters. In June 2024, anti-Israel demonstrators vandalized federal facilities in Washington, D.C., and clashed with police. In July 2024, similar protesters vandalized Columbus Plaza, set fire to federal property, and assaulted police and bystanders.
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On July 24, the day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., a protester graffitied the Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain at Union Station amid clashes between Israel and Hamas. Israeli demonstrators. 2024. (Reuters/Nathan Howard)
“Is Secretary Haaland’s department’s continued failure to enforce the law, or even the permitting provisions it provides, simply negligent? Is it a product of sympathy among the political leadership?'' Chamberlain asked Fox News Digital.
“Given the actions of some department leaders, including multiple determinations by the inspector general for ethics violations, neither possibility can be dismissed out of hand,” he said.
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Protesters burn an American flag outside Union Station after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to a joint session of Congress on July 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Matthew Hatcher/AFP via Getty Images)
In each case, specifically during the protests in June and July 2024, Chamberlain's letter stated that the National Park Service (NPS) failed to enforce law and maintain order, and that important symbols of the nation's history and culture were destroyed. He accuses them of allowing it to be desecrated and destroyed. It is part of NPS's core mission to manage and protect. ”
“These failures appear to have been caused by a reckless failure to properly enforce demonstration permit conditions and provide the United States Park Police (“USPP”) with the resources necessary to effectively carry out its duties. ” the letter states. “We call for an immediate investigation into these failures, including determining whether political considerations played an inappropriate role in leaving cultural resources exposed to damage and destruction.”
The DOI has also drawn the ire of some Republican lawmakers over its handling of protests. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the top Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, in June over his handling of violent protests involving National Park Service grounds outside the White House. We asked DOI Director Deb Harlan for answers.
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National Park Service personnel attempt to remove graffiti at Union Station in Washington, D.C., July 25, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Barrasso asked Haaland to explain how she is working with law enforcement to identify suspects and explain why no arrests have been made. He also called on the department to take clear steps to protect federal park rangers on the job.
No arrests were made during the chaos, but NBC News reported that one person who had climbed the statue slipped from a law enforcement officer who tried to restrain him.
Statues honoring the Count of Rochambeau and the Marquis of Lafayette, two important French figures in the American Revolutionary War, were vandalized during the protests. Ironically, President Biden happened to be in France at the time.
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Watchdog groups also criticized DOI's allocation of $120 million to tribal governments earlier this year to combat the effects of climate change.
DOI declined comment to Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital's Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
