Re: National Archives to be closed for 3rd-straight day after powder dumped on original Constitution display

On 14 Mar 2022, Rudy Canoza <[email protected]> posted some
news:[email protected]: 

> There is a simple cure for this.  Publicly kill the activists. 
> Obviously they have no respect for the country in which they live, so
> oblige them by removing them from the situation and life.  I
> personally recommend beating them to death with baseball bats. 

Conservationists at the National Archives are still working to clean up
the building's rotunda area after a pair of apparent environmental
protesters on Wednesday dumped reddish powder on the display case
housing the original U.S. Constitution. 

National Archives administrators granted The Associated Press exclusive
access to the site Thursday afternoon as conservationists continue the
painstaking work of cleaning the pinkish-red powder from the nooks and
crannies of the document’s protective housing. Their tools include
everything from vacuum cleaners to cotton swabs to bags full of shredded
erasers. 

The Archives building’s rotunda, which displays the Constitution and the
Declaration of Independence, will remain closed Friday as the cleanup
work continues. 

Two men dumped the powder onto the horizontal display case around 2:30
p.m. Wednesday. 

“We are determined to foment a rebellion,” one man said, in a video
posted on social media. “We all deserve clean air, water, food and a
livable climate.” 

Police then led the pair away, leaving a trail of powder out the door.

In the immediate aftermath, cleanup crews were reluctant to use any sort
of water or liquids in the cleanup, especially since they were still
unsure of the exact makeup of the powder. 

“If you're working with a dry powder pigment, using water would just
turn it into paint,” said Supervisory Conservator Amy Lubick.
“Fortunately we're confident that none of the pigment penetrated the
casing.” 

The historic document itself is undamaged and locked away. Subsequent
analysis revealed that the powder dumped on the case was a mixture of
pigment powder and cornstarch. The resulting powder was so fine that an
industrial vacuum failed to pick up much of it. 

Cleanup crews were “on their hands and knees until midnight” Wednesday
and resumed their work Thursday morning working to capture every bit of
the powder, said National Program Preservation Officer Stephanie
Hornbeck. 

Conservationists at the National Archives reached out to colleagues at
the National Gallery of Art for tips on specialized cleaning products to
use around delicate textiles. They also used decidedly old-school
methods such as long cotton swabs and standard-issue erasers. 

Hornbeck displayed several bags of shredded eraser material which were
piled up and gently rubbed into stained areas, gradually turning from
white to pink as they picked up particles of pigment. 

Archivist of the United States Colleen Shogan said she's not sure when
the exhibit will be open to the public again, but said she was “thrilled
by the amazing work” put in by her conservation staff. 

Shogan also said she's in contact with local law enforcement authorities
to ensure the two vandals are fully prosecuted. 

“The real impact of this is on the thousands of people who came to
Washington, D.C., today and tomorrow to see the Constitution and the
Bill of Rights, and won't be able to,” she said. 

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/national-archiv
es-closed-protesters-constitution-display/3545584/