Sixteen Republican U.S. senators have urged the Department of Justice to investigate vandalism by pro-Palestinian demonstrators earlier this month at the Los Angeles National Cemetery, where more than 85,000 veterans are buried.
During a Jan. 7 anti-Israel protest in Westwood, demonstrators spray painted the cemetery’s entrance with the Arabic word “Intifada,” meaning uprising or shaking off, “Free Gaza” and a red, upside-down triangle, a design included in the Palestinian flag, according to a video posted online.
The demonstration drew hundreds of protesters who shut down Wilshire Boulevard between the 405 Freeway and Glendon Avenue outside the U.S. Federal Building.
Officials with the Los Angeles National Cemetery, where veterans from World War I, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars and others are interred, said on Facebook that the Los Angeles County Graffiti Abatement Team removed the spray paint.
“The Los Angeles National Cemetery is where our nation’s heroes are laid to rest, and any act of vandalism is unacceptable,” officials said, adding the cemetery is cooperating with police investigating the incident.
The Los Angeles Police Department and the DOJ did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Earlier this week, Sens. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota and Marco Rubio of Florida, along with 14 of their colleagues, sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting a DOJ investigation.
“Veterans represent the best of America,” the senators wrote. “The men and women who serve in the U.S. military exemplify the sacrifice, determination, and bravery that all Americans should strive for. Like those currently serving in our military, the veterans buried at the Los Angeles National Cemetery fought to protect the fundamental rights of all Americans in countless wars, even the rights of Americans who lack the moral clarity to condemn terrorism.”
Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman of Sherman Oaks, whose district encompasses the Los Angeles National Cemetery, also decried the vandalism.
“More proof that the people who hate Israel, also hate America,” he said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Here, at the Los Angeles National Cemetery in my district, they deface a cemetery for those who gave their lives to end slavery and protect the world from fascism.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations said the letter contains misconceptions about pro-Palestinians.
“While we strongly condemn the recent acts of defacement at the Los Angeles National Cemetery and any forms of vandalism, it’s important to address the blatant inaccuracies included in the Republican senators’ letter,” CAIR’s Los Angeles executive director, Hussam Ayloush, said in a statement. “Intifada….. is not used to express support for violence, terrorism or any specific groups.”
The letter also intentionally conflates calls for freedom for the people of Gaza with supporting Hamas terrorists, which is a common tactic used to vilify Palestinians and their allies, according to Ayloush.
“We trust that the LAPD will conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation into the incident with the same level of scrutiny and fairness as they would any other vandalism case,” Ayloush said.
Federal law makes it illegal for anyone to destroy a structure, plaque, statue or monument on public property commemorating the service of those in the military.
“Pro-Hamas radicals and terrorist sympathizers must immediately face consequences for their immoral and illegal tactics,” the senators wrote in the letter to Garland. “Therefore, we urge the DOJ to investigate the pro-Hamas activists responsible for defacing the Los Angeles National Cemetery, given their clear violation of federal law.”
