Chicago’s Buckingham Fountain closed for maintenance after vandals dye landmark red in apparent anti-war demonstration
Buckingham Fountain will be closed until further notice after vandals dyed the fountain red and spray painted anti-war messages on the ground around the Grant Park landmark overnight.
Chicago Park District officials announced the closure Saturday morning, saying the city agency will perform maintenance to restore the fountain to its previous condition.
Effective immediately, @BuckinghamFntn will be closed until further notice to perform maintenance due to overnight vandalism. Please check back for updates. pic.twitter.com/taE43mxNBW
— Chicago ParkDistrict (@ChicagoParks) June 22, 2024
A Park District worker was seen power washing graffiti left by Israel-Hamas war protestors, including the messages “STOP THE GENOCIDE” and “GAZA IS BLEEDING.”
Chicago police said the vandalism happened in the overnight hours in the 300 block of South Columbus Drive. No one was in custody and detectives are still investigating.