Chicago Park District

Buckingham Fountain reopens after vandalism incident

The water in the fountain was dyed red and green and slogans were spray painted on the ground around the monument

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Footage captured by drone pilot Colin Hinkle showed the scene at Buckingham Fountain after its water was dyed red and green in an act of vandalism.

Chicago’s Buckingham Fountain has been turned back on after vandalism forced the city to shut down the iconic attraction Saturday.

According to an update from the Chicago Park District Sunday morning, the fountain was turned back on and operational after being closed for a day.

Officials say the vandalism occurred overnight Friday and into Saturday. The water in the fountain was dyed red, and multiple messages were spray-painted on the ground around the fountain, including “Gaza is bleeding” and “stop the genocide,” referring to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

The water was drained out of the fountain and into Lake Michigan, where it briefly turned water near the shoreline red before dissipating.

The vandalism occurred on the same day as pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the Loop that saw 11 people arrested, but it is still not known who was behind the incident.

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