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Vandals hit Lincoln Memorial with paint

Splattered paint is seen on the right shoe area of the Abraham Lincoln statue at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Associated Press)
Brett Zongker Associated Press
Splattered paint is seen on the right shoe area of the Abraham Lincoln statue at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Associated Press)

WASHINGTON – Someone splattered green paint on the Lincoln Memorial early Friday, but the statue of the 16th president was reopened by nightfall after the paint was washed away.

The apparent vandalism was discovered around 1:30 a.m. Friday on the statue, the pedestal and the floor, U.S. Park Police said. No words, letters or symbols were visible in the paint.

The marble Lincoln statue had green paint on its shin, coattail, chair and base, as well as paint on the floor of the memorial building.

Capt. Steven Booker said the paint spill “appears intentional based off of the splatter.” Police were reviewing security camera footage to try to identify possible suspects, he said.

No suspects had been identified by Friday afternoon. Police officials said they would not release the security footage because the investigation is ongoing.

The memorial chamber was closed all day to allow a National Park Service crew to finish cleaning up the paint. Workers spent hours using pressurized hoses and a chemical paint remover to try to wash away the paint.

National Park Service spokeswoman Carol Johnson said the memorial will be returned to the condition it was in before the vandalism. She said the work was going well by late Friday.

“It is not permanent damage,” she said. “Our historic preservation crew knows exactly what they need to do.”

The memorial, one of the most popular sites on the National Mall, was dedicated in 1922 to President Abraham Lincoln. It sits at the opposite end of the National Mall from the Capitol, facing the Washington Monument.

The Lincoln Memorial is generally open around the clock to visitors. Park rangers leave their posts about 10 p.m. and return about 9 a.m. daily. U.S. Park Police, however, maintain 24-hour patrols at the memorial, Lt. Pamela Smith said.