Archivist urges maximum punishment for climate activists who destroyed founding documents

A bizarre attack on the Constitution and Declaration of Independence in Washington, D.C., earlier this year was “an emotional outburst,” according to the Archivist of the United States.

Colleen Shogan, who also serves as head of the National Archives and Records Administration, spoke in court Tuesday before a federal judge On the sentencing of a career climate protestor who, with an accomplice, helped apply red paint to display cases holding historical documents.

In his remarks, Shogun said the Valentine’s Day incident was a deliberate attack on “our shared past and the beliefs that unite us as Americans.”

He said of the crime committed, “These documents are the physical embodiment of our country’s core principles and represent what it means to be an American…This attack was an emotional outburst for the staff of the National Archives and for many people across the country ” By Jackson Greene and Donald Zepeda. “It was as if a member of our family had been attacked.”

Green and Zepeda entered Rotunda Inside the National Archives in Washington, D.C., and plastered over the covers to protect the founding documents red dye and a non-toxic pink powder,

Shogun testified, “These documents are the physical embodiment of our country’s core principles and represent what it means to be America.”

The Bill of Rights placed at the same location was not targeted.

Shogan told U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson that the “extremely fine paint” covering the Constitution case had spread throughout the Rotunda – threatening to stain and permanently disfigure the historic marble.

“Complicating matters, the powder had penetrated the outer layer of protection offered by the casing, finding its way between the fine details of the intricately cast bronze and the layers of glass that formed the Constitution’s first line of defence. Work as,” she says. Continued.

The Rotunda was closed to the public for four days. The attack caused more than $50,000 in damage.

Shogun said the two original founding documents are “the definition of priceless” and urged the judge to impose the harshest sentence possible.

Shogun said, “It must be clear to anyone that attacking the encroachment of the United States Constitution in the Rotunda of the National Archives Building is not the same as physically or symbolically destroying the wall of a public park or office building.”

“As Americans we have the right to free speech, but that does not free us from the consequences of our actions. And the consequences of attacking our nation’s fundamental record must be significant.

He said climate protests that target “museums and the unique treasures of our cultural history that we rely on for the nation” are not small, victimless crimes.

He said, “Clearly establishing the significance of these crimes and sending a strong message to prevent future attacks is essential not only for the National Archives, but for all cultural institutions across the country.” “I respectfully urge you to consider the maximum possible sentence for these crimes. Anything less sends the wrong message to Americans about the rule of law, our system of government, and the principles that enable its peaceful continuation.

Zepeda, a leader of declare emergencyGreene, and both were charged with aggravated destruction of government property.

Green, of Utah, was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months in prison. Zepeda, who lives in Maryland, was sentenced to two years in prison on Friday. Both men recently accepted plea deals from prosecutors.