The Lincoln Memorial was briefly closed on Saturday after college students littered the area with broken glass bottles. A large group of Georgetown seniors celebrating their graduation were reportedly responsible for incident.
Hundreds of Georgetown seniors gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. in order to watch the sunrise Saturday morning after a night of celebrating their graduation.
The National Park Service later announced a brief delay in public accessibility to the Lincoln Memorial, saying the group had left debris in the area.
“The Lincoln Memorial is closed this morning following a local university graduation celebration that left litter, broken bottles and spilled wine and champagne covering the steps,” the National Park Service announced Saturday morning.
The Lincoln Memorial is closed this morning following a local university graduation celebration that left litter, broken bottles and spilled wine and champagne covering the steps. We will reopen as soon as the area has been cleaned and made safe. pic.twitter.com/AVuOeoof0y
— National Mall NPS (@NationalMallNPS) May 21, 2022
Workers were forced to clean up the mess on what was the hottest day of the year to date. By 11 am, the Lincoln Memorial was reponed to the public.
“Thanks to our facilities staff for the quick cleanup this morning. The Lincoln Memorial is open. We appreciate your patience,” the park service said in a follow-up statement.
Georgetown University issued a comment on the Lincoln Memorial incident but did not issue an apology. “We are monitoring the concerning and disappointing activity at the Lincoln Memorial. While Georgetown is one of several institutions celebrating graduation ceremonies this weekend,” a university spokesman told NBC 4 Washington.
He added that Georgetown did not officially plan an event at the monument. “We have had no University-sponsored events at or around the Lincoln Memorial. We expect all members of our community to be responsible citizens of our campus and our city and be respectful of the history and institutions of Washington, D.C.”
NPS spokesperson Mike Litterst told NBC4 Washington that no citations or arrests had been issued.
Celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln Memorial are set to begin this weekend.