“Despite lack of evidence that any damage was done, both Green and Zepeda were charged with felony destruction of government property,” the group wrote in a statement on their website. “The tempera paint powder was selected because it would do no harm, and indeed no powder entered the case.”
Society
Climate Activists Sentenced To Prison For Vandalizing U.S. Constitution Display
A pair of climate activists who vandalized the National Archives Rotunda in Washington D.C. back in February were sentenced on Monday.
With the aim of raising awareness about climate change, Donald Zepeda of Maryland and Jackson Green of Utah dumped red powder all over the National Archives Rotunda, one of the most popular attractions for students, tourists and other visitors to the nation’s capitol. The display houses some of the nation’s most important documents, including the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
The case containing the Constitution was heavily damaged as a result of the incident. In total, the vandalism cost $58,000 in damage and caused the rotunda to close for four days. It also caused an evacuation of the building in the immediate aftermath of the incident, when the nature of the powder was unknown.
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Just now: the Rotunda of the National Archives in Washington DC was evacuated after two climate activists dumped red powder on themselves and the case holding the United States Constitution.
Both were arrested in minutes. pic.twitter.com/opeTJcs7GH
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) February 14, 2024
On Monday, Zepeda was sentenced to 24 months in prison while Green was sentenced to 14 months, U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office announced in a press release.
Zepeda pleaded guilty on August 15 to felony destruction of property for dumping the thick red powder on the U.S. Constitution. Green also pleaded guilty on August 13 to felony destruction of property, while he also pleaded guilty to one charge in connection with a separate act of vandalism targeting a memorial to black Civil War soldiers at the National Gallery of Art on November 13, 2023.
Green had been charged for vandalizing the Civil War memorial 13 days before participating in the rotunda incident.
Zepeda and Green were also ordered to serve 24 months of supervised release in addition to paying $58,600 in restitution each. They will also be required to complete community service, which must include cleaning up graffiti in the D.C. area. On top of all that, the two men have also been banned from D.C. museums and a number of additional locations across the United States.
Jackson Green (left) and Donald Zepeda (right) pose for a photo in the aftermath of the red powder incident
According to a report from Fox News, Zepeda and Green are members of Declare Emergency, a group of activists that claim to raise awareness about climate change by engaging in a variety of criminal offenses, primarily in D.C.
“We don’t want the end of civilization, but that’s the path we’re currently on,” the group wrote in an X post alongside footage of the incident on the day of. Declare Emergency released an additional statement in the wake of the sentencing, stating that they had anticipated the penalty would be “harsh.”
