(PatriotWise.com) — Two climate activists were arrested in the National Archives Museum in Washington last week after throwing pink powder on the glass display housing the Constitution, Reuters reported.
The National Archives announced in a February 14 press release that its galleries and Rotunda were temporarily closed for cleaning after the two activists “dumped red powder” on the protective case containing the Constitution.
Dr. Colleen Shogan, Archivist for the United States, said the National Archives would insist that the two activists “be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to court records, cleaning the powder from the museum would cost the government $15,780.62.
The activists were quickly detained by security, and no damage was done to the Constitution, according to the press release.
Capitol Police arrested Donald Zepeda and Jackson Green after they dropped balloons filled with paint powder over the display case.
A video taken after the incident and posted on social media showed the two men standing beside the display case with their clothing and hands coated with the magenta-pink powder. Before they were escorted out by security personnel, the two men launched into a diatribe about climate change and demanded that President Biden declare a climate emergency.
Zepeda and Green were charged with the destruction of public property. If convicted, they face a maximum of 180 days in prison. The pair may also face federal charges for the destruction of government property.
The activists claimed to be part of a group called Declare Emergency which employs property destruction to force the government to act on climate change. The group shared videos of the incident on social media.
Climate activists like the group Just Stop Oil have used similar tactics in Europe to protest climate change.
In 2022, Just Stop Oil infiltrated the London Gallery and smeared tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers.” Last year, they dumped red paint on the glass protecting Claude Monet’s “The Artist’s Garden at Giverny” when it was on display in Sweden and then glued their hands to the protective glass.
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