National Archives working to clean up red powder dumped on Constitution display by protesters

WASHINGTON (AP) — 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.

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“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