Section 5104. Unlawful activities
a) Definitions. - In this section - (1) Act of physical violence. - The term "act of physical violence" means any act involving -
B) damage to, or destruction of, real or personal property.
(d) Injuries to Property. - A person may not step or climb on, remove, or in any way injure any statue, seat, wall, fountain, or other erection or architectural feature, or any tree, shrub, plant, or turf, in the Grounds.
Section 5106. Suspension of prohibitions
(a) Authority To Suspend. - To allow the observance in the United States Capitol Grounds of occasions of national interest becoming the cognizance and entertainment of Congress, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives concurrently may suspend any of the prohibitions contained in sections 5103 and 5104 of this title that would prevent the use of the roads and walks within the Grounds by processions or assemblages, and the use in the Grounds of suitable decorations, music, addresses, and ceremonies, if responsible officers have been appointed and the President and the Speaker determine that adequate arrangements have been made to maintain suitable order and decorum in the proceedings and to guard the United States Capitol and its grounds from injury.
(b) Power To Suspend Prohibitions in Absence of President or Speaker. - If either the President or Speaker is absent from the District of Columbia, the authority to suspend devolves on the other officer. If both officers are absent, the authority devolves on the Capitol Police Board.
Section 5109. Penalties
(b) Other Offenses. - A person violating section 5103 or 5104(b), (c), (d), (e)(2), or (f) of this title, or attempting to commit a violation, shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.
This past summer we were in Washington and security police guided crowds here and yon. Nobody was allowed to go close to some stautes etc much less spray paint them. Wait we were all law-abiding tourists. We were not important liberals with something to "say"
BTW in 1992 my daughter (13) decided she wanted to sing the National Anthem at the Vietnam Memorial Wall to honor our fallen. She has a lovely voice and delighted onlookers filmed her and took photos. The security police threatened to arrest her if she didnt stop singing.