George takes a fall in Portland
Protesters in Portland, Ore., wrapped a statue of George Washington in an American flag, lit it on fire and then pulled the monument down Thursday night, a report said.
The large bronze sculpture of the first US president — who owned slaves in the 1700s — was felled during a demonstration on the eve of Juneteeth, a holiday celebrating the abolition of slavery, according to KOIN-TV.
The toppling, in Portland’s Rose City Park section, came during protests in the city over the fatal arrest of George Floyd.
After the statue came down, vandals defaced it with graffiti before fleeing around 11 p.m., the station reported.
Protesters also spraypainted the words “F--K COPS” and “BIG FLOYD” on the statue’s base, video posted on Twitter shows.
Portland police arrived later, but it wasn’t immediately clear if any arrests were made, according to the KOIN-TV.
Earlier in the night, two groups — the Rose City Justice and Lavender Caucus — hosted a sit-in rally at nearby Jefferson HS, where people shared their experiences with racism.
Then separately, a group of about 20 people met at the statue of Washington at around 10 p.m., and the crowd grew as protesters pulled the structure down.
Earlier in the week, a statue of Thomas Jefferson that stood outside Jefferson HS was also toppled by protesters, according to the Willamette Week.
Thursday marked the 21st consecutive day of demonstrations for racial justice and police reform in Portland. A small, peaceful protest was also held the same night near the city’s Justice Center.