Chicago’s Buckingham Fountain closed after pool water dyed red in apparent pro-Palestine demonstration

Deanese Williams-Harris, Rebecca Johnson, Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune
Updated ·2 min read
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Buckingham Fountain is closed “until further notice” after vandals dyed the Grant Park landmark’s pool water red and spray-painted messages opposing the war in Gaza overnight.

Chicago Park District officials announced the closure Saturday morning, saying the city agency will perform maintenance to restore the fountain to its previous condition.

Chicago police said the damage — which occurred sometime “in the overnight hours” — was discovered in and around the fountain in the 300 block of South Columbus Drive. No suspects were in custody and detectives were investigating.

When Colin Hinkle looked out at the view of Buckingham Fountain from his home around 7:30 a.m., he noticed that the water — normally a greenish color — was turning red. As the owner of Soaring Badger Productions, a drone video and photography company, Hinkle’s first thought was to pull out his drone and start snapping photos.

“I thought they were going to turn (the fountain) on at 8 o’clock and this was maybe a water test, or some kind of PR stunt because there is NASCAR being set up there,” he said. “But then I saw the spray paint, the graffiti, on the ground in support of Gaza, … so then I realized I had a whole different meaning and this was not something that was sanctioned.”

Hinkle said Park District employees quickly cleaned away graffiti that was painted outside the fountain, including messages such as “Stop the Genocide” and “Gaza is Bleeding.” Visitors could still access the area surrounding the fountain Saturday, but the jets were turned off.

Later in the afternoon, around 2 p.m., Hinkle saw employees start draining the fountain, dumping the red water into Lake Michigan. With the water nearly gone, Hinkle said he noticed a red tinge on the fountain’s brick. The fountain holds around 1.5 million gallons of water, according to the park district’s website.

“I’m watching tour boats and personal vehicle boats going through this red dye in the lake,” he said.

“I really hope that it’s not done any permanent damage, given that the city has some pretty high-profile events coming up quickly,” Hinkle added. “It’d be a shame to see that in any way damaged.”

Designated as a Chicago Landmark, Buckingham Fountain opened to the public in 1927 as the centerpiece of Grant Park, according to the Chicago Park District. Philanthropist Kate Sturges Buckingham donated the fountain in honor of her brother, Clarence.

The fountain produces a water display for 20 minutes every hour when it’s in operation, featuring a center jet shooting water up to 150 feet in the air. The fountain usually runs from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, from early May through mid-October.