Thanksgiving vandalism: 'Land back' sprayed on US statues - By Konstantin Toropin and Susannah Cullinane (CNN)
(CNN) Statues of three United States Presidents, a "Pioneers Statue" and numerous store fronts were targeted by vandals on Thanksgiving, with "land back" graffitied on some of the property.
Vandals
damaged the Pioneers Statue in BF Nelson Park in Minneapolis,
spray-painting the words "no thanks," "no more genocide," "decolonize"
and "land back" on it, Dawn Sommers, spokeswoman for the Minneapolis
Park and Recreation Board, told CNN.
The Pioneers Statue has been the subject of criticism and controversy before, she said.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board says the Pioneers Statue has been controversial.
A
statue of George Washington was toppled and graffitied in Washburn Fair
Oaks Park in Minneapolis, Sommers added. The damage was discovered on
the afternoon of November 26.
Content by PhoneSoap
Get 20% off all PhoneSoaps
Keep your phones and devices as clean as they can possibly be with PhoneSoap's revolutionary technology.
"The
MPRB is working together with the community to address and respond
using a racial equity lens to determine next steps," she said in a
statement.
The George Washington statue in Washburn Fair Oaks Park was toppled and graffitied.
In Chicago, a statue of former President William McKinley was vandalized at around 4 a.m. on Wednesday morning.
"A
rope was thrown around it in an attempt to bring it down with a
vehicle," a spokeswoman for the Chicago Police Department told CNN.
The phrase "land back" was seen graffitied on the pedestal of the statue in video provided to CNN by affiliate WBBM.
In
Portland, Oregon, three people were arrested after they spray painted
and broke windows in at least 10 businesses in the early morning hours
of November 26, police said in a statement.
"Grocery
stores, banks, an auto service center, a package distribution and
mailing center, and local business storefronts were damaged," the
Portland police statement said.
Portland police responded to reports of people breaking windows and spraying graffiti on November 26.
In images provided by police, the words "land back" can be seen spray painted on at least two stores.
And
in Spokane, Washington, police say that a statue of former President
Abraham Lincoln was splattered with red paint. Police discovered the
damage just after midnight on November 26, officer Terry Preuninger told
CNN.
No arrests have been made in the Minneapolis, Spokane and Chicago incidents.
The fourth Thursday of November is recognized by some as a "National Day of Mourning" to mark the theft of Native Americans' tribal lands, rights and sovereignty.
A
plaque in Plymouth, Massachusetts, near the site of the 1621 meal
shared by Pilgrims and an indigenous tribe, reads: "Thanksgiving Day is a
reminder of the genocide of millions of their people, the theft of
their lands, and the relentless assault on their cultures. Participants
in National Day of Mourning honor Native ancestors and the struggles of
Native peoples to survive today."
Comments
Post a Comment