Biden administration The federal government is “failing” to protect federal property from uncontrolled destruction at the hands of left-wing protesters, a conservative government watchdog says.
In a letter sent to the inspector general of the Department of the Interior (DOI) on Thursday morning, Michael Chamberlain of the nonprofit group Protect the Public Trust outlined several examples of protests that ended in some type of disturbance of land or cultural symbols.
In October 2021, protest group Captured DOI headquarters. In June 2024, anti-Israel protesters damaged federal properties and clashed with police in Washington, DC. In July 2024, similar protesters vandalized Columbus Plaza, burning federal property and attacking police and bystanders.
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An anti-Israel protester sprays graffiti on the Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain at Union Station amid clashes between Israel and Hamas on the day of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on July 24. 2024. (Reuters/Nathan Howard)
“Is Secretary Haaland’s Department’s persistent failure to enforce provisions of the law or even permits simply negligence? Or could it be an increase in sympathy among DOI political leadership with the agenda of violent protesters?” Chamberlain asked Fox News Digital.
“When you look at the behavior of some department leaders — including multiple determinations by the inspector general of ethics violations — neither possibility can be dismissed out of hand,” he said.
Protesters burn an American flag outside Union Station after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address during a joint session of Congress in Washington, DC, on July 24, 2024. (Matthew Hatcher/AFP via Getty Images)
In each instance, especially during June and July 2024 protests, Chamberlain’s letter alleged that the National Park Service (NPS) failed to enforce the law and maintain order, leading to the defacement and destruction of major symbols of national history and culture, “demonstrating that this management And that’s part of the core mission of the NPS.”
The letter states, “It appears that these failures were caused by a negligent failure to properly enforce performance permit conditions and provide the United States Park Police (“USPP”) with the resources necessary to effectively do their job. Have happened.” “We call on you to immediately investigate these failures, including to determine whether political considerations have played an undue role in leaving cultural resources vulnerable to damage and destruction.”
The DOI has also drawn ire from some Republican lawmakers over its handling of the protests.
“Over the summer, Union Station rioters chanted terrorist slogans, threw human feces at U.S. Park Police officers, destroyed government property, burned American flags and an effigy of Prime Minister Netanyahu and replaced them with a Palestinian flag.” Representative Bruce Westerman, chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, told Fox News Digital.
“DC is no stranger to protests and free speech demonstrations, but clearly something went badly off the rails in this case,” the Arkansas Republican said. “The organizers of this event knowingly violated nearly all of the terms and conditions of their permit, and DOI and NPS also failed to provide significant support for the Park Police. This despite the Coalition’s history and prior knowledge of the “Protests were expected and oversight is necessary to ensure that a security failure of this magnitude does not happen again.”
Republicans on top senate On the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., also demanded answers from DOI Secretary Deb Halen over her handling of the violent protests that surrounded National Park Service property outside the White House in June.
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National Park Service workers attempt to remove graffiti at Union Station on July 25, 2024 in Washington, DC (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Barrasso demanded that Haaland account for the lack of arrests by describing how she is working with law enforcement to identify suspects. He also called on the department to implement clear measures to protect on-duty federal park rangers.
No arrests were made after the chaos, but NBC News reported that a person who had climbed a statue slipped from a law enforcement officer who was attempting to detain them.
A statue honoring two prominent French figures in the American Revolution – the Comte de Rochambeau and the Marquis de Lafayette – was vandalized during protests. The irony is that President Biden was in France at the time.
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The watchdog group also criticized DOI for allocating $120 million earlier this year to tribal governments to deal with its impacts. Climate change.
DOI declined to comment to Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital’s Charles Kreitz contributed to this report.
