Scatological 'Memorial' to Jan. 6 Turns Heads on the National Mall

A giant replica of the Capitol made of human feces appeared on the National Mall on Thursday, January 5, 2023, sparking outrage and debate.

The 'memorial' was created by an anonymous artist or group of artists and is intended to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The replica Capitol is made of a brown, feces-like material and is about 20 feet tall. It is located on the Mall near the Washington Monument.

The 'memorial' has been met with mixed reactions. Some people have praised it as a powerful and thought-provoking work of art. Others have condemned it as disrespectful and offensive.

The National Park Service has not yet commented on the 'memorial'. It is unclear whether the Park Service will remove the 'memorial' or allow it to remain on the Mall.

The 'memorial' is the latest in a series of controversial art installations that have appeared on the National Mall in recent years. In 2017, a giant inflatable chicken was placed on the Mall to protest the Trump administration. In 2019, a group of artists erected a wall of ice on the Mall to raise awareness of climate change.

The National Mall is a public space that is protected by the First Amendment. This means that people are generally free to express themselves on the Mall, even if their speech is controversial or offensive.

However, the National Park Service does have the authority to remove art installations from the Mall if they are deemed to be inappropriate or dangerous.