Federal Government Tracks Down “Two Anarchists” Who Threw Red Paint on Washington Statues

On Tuesday, President Trump said the federal government is “tracking down the two anarchists” who threw red paint on two George Washington statues in New York City’s Washington Square Park.

“We are tracking down the two Anarchists who threw paint on the magnificent George Washington Statue in Manhattan. We have them on tape. They will be prosecuted and face 10 years in Prison based on the Monuments and Statues Act. Turn yourselves in now!” the president said on Twitter.

Vandalism Incident

Two vandals threw balloons of red paint at the statues on Monday morning.

According to The New York Post, both suspects “hurl paint-filled balloons at the statues, one of Washington as the nation’s first president and another depicting him as general of the country’s Revolutionary War forces.”

A tape shows the suspects fleeing on bikes after vandalizing the statues. The pair also used white spray paint to draw outlines of 24 bodies around the park’s fountain.

Fox News reported that NYPD officers took away a cooler that was used to carry the balloons. They also took away other pieces of evidence left behind at the scene to check for fingerprints.

President Trump signed an executive order on Friday which will toughen penalty enforcement for those who vandalize monuments.

“I just had the privilege of signing a very strong Executive Order protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues – and combatting recent Criminal Violence,” Trump said in a tweet. “Long prison terms for these lawless acts against our Great Country!” he then added.

According to the order, the Attorney General’s Office will directly prosecute anyone who “destroys, damages, vandalizes, or desecrates a monument, memorial, or statue within the United States or otherwise vandalizes government property.”

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