WASHINGTON (AP) — The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has always been many things to many people: murky and peaceful, occasionally smelly, a gathering spot for protests and celebrations, a favorite backdrop for sunrise photography, and a setting made famous by the film “Forrest Gump.”
What it has rarely been, however, is a tightly policed area with strict enforcement.
While wading into the pool has technically been against the rules all along, the typical response from law enforcement was simply asking someone to step out of the water. That relaxed approach has now given way to something far more serious.
The shift followed President Donald Trump’s claim last weekend — made without supporting evidence — that vandals had deliberately damaged the pool’s liner, which he connected to his broader renovation efforts. Trump had previously blamed past presidents for allowing the pool to fall into disrepair. Court documents filed this week reveal that the National Park Service reported to the U.S. Park Police a June 9 incident in which the pool’s new liner appeared to have been sliced with a sharp knife or razor blade.
In response, National Guard members and Park Police officers have been stationed around the pool’s perimeter. The Associated Press confirmed that one individual was arrested after making contact with paint that was already peeling from a surface. The man said he simply wanted to get a closer look at the new coating, briefly touching a loose piece before letting go — and did so shortly after a park worker told him to stop. Earlier this week, crews were also observed installing fencing near the site, which the administration said was related to preparations for July Fourth festivities.
The increased security stands in contrast to the pool’s long history as an irresistible attraction. During the Poor People’s Campaign of 1968, visitors waded in to escape the oppressive summer heat. In colder months, the frozen pool has occasionally transformed into an impromptu ice skating rink.
Today, the scene looks very different. Mobile surveillance towers now stand watch over the area, law enforcement officers patrol on foot in greater numbers, and the sound of nanobubblers fills the June air.
