The U.S National Archives is apologizing for altering an image of the 2017 Women’s March in Washington, D.C., to remove anti-Donald Trump messages featured on some protest signs.
“We apologize, and will immediately start a thorough review of our exhibit policies and procedures so that this does not happen again,” the organization said on Twitter Saturday.
The apology came after The Washington Post reported Friday that at least four signs that referred to women’s “anatomy” or anti-Trump sentiments had been edited.
One sign that said “God Hates Trump” had the president’s last name obscured in the photo. On other signs, the words “pussy” and “vagina” were blurred out, the outlet reported.
The photo was taken by Getty Images photographer Mario Tama on Jan. 21, 2017.
The National Archives explained in a series of tweets that the altered image was an element of a display at the Washington, D.C., museum to promote an exhibit on the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.
The photo was not one of its records, the National Archives explained, but an image licensed to use as a “promotional graphic” that hung in an elevator lobby.
“Nonetheless, we were wrong to alter the image,” the agency said.
The display will be removed, the National Archives said, and replaced with one featuring the unedited image as soon as possible.
The 2017 Women’s March took place just after Trump’s inauguration. Nearly one million people attended.
On Saturday, women’s marches were planned in more than 180 U.S. cities, though turnout was lower than in previous years.
-With files from the Associated Press
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