World: Buckingham Fountain in Chicago closed after vandals painted it red

World: The Chicago Park District said Saturday that the historic Buckingham Fountain is closed “until further notice” after a vandal attack. Protesters dyed the fountain’s water red and spray-painted some areas around the plaza. Staff say the monument was attacked after the fountain was closed just after 11 p.m. local time. Officials said damage was found “inside and around” the fountain when officers responded to a vandalism call. Chicago’s Buckingham Fountain vandalized overnight According to CBS 2, it is believed that the vandals threw highly concentrated but non-toxic pond dye, turning the entire fountain red. Slogans such as “Gaza is bleeding” and “Stop the genocide” were scrawled on bricks around the plaza. Though the writing has been removed, the fountain will remain closed indefinitely for maintenance.

A routine check is done every morning before the fountain is turned on. When workers noticed the problem Saturday morning, the Chicago landmark was abruptly closed, leaving tourists and visitors disappointed. Officials said there were no injuries or arrests. “I was expecting to see water! I mean, come on, and yeah, it’s a little disappointing,” said Tom Martin, who was visiting from Washington. “I’m somewhat sympathetic to the efforts they’re making, but I’m not sure what to expect,” Tom said, according to CBS.

But that’s not the way it is.” By Saturday afternoon, dyed water was draining through large pipes into Lake Michigan, turning a portion of the lakeshore red. Meanwhile, Karen Wintz, who was visiting from the New Orleans area, said, “We’d been walking all day, and I was like, what? And so I went on my phone to see what time it was, because I thought maybe it was at night — and then I got the news article that it had been, I guess, vandalized.

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