Rioters Tear Down George Washington Statue, Cover with Burning U.S. Flag
Portland police arrived on the scene shortly after the statue was toppled
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Rioters have torn down a statue of George Washington in Portland before draping it in a burning American flag.
A group of rioters converged on NE Sandy Boulevard and NE 57th Avenue at around 10 p.m.
KOIN News reported that some of the rioters wrapped the statue’s head in an American flag before setting it on fire.
The group then pulled the statue to the ground before fleeing the scene.
KOIN News crew later “found the statue face down and covered in graffiti.”
Portland police arrived on the scene shortly after the statue was toppled.
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Journalist Andy Ngo tweeted:
“Antifa rioters on Sandy Blvd. in Portland draped a US flag over a George Washington statue [and] set it on fire. They then toppled the statue. ‘Genocidal colonist’ [and] ‘f— cops’ are sprayed on monument. Rioters have begun to build another autonomous zone nearby.”
WATCH
Antifa rioters on Sandy Blvd. in Portland draped a US flag over a George Washington statue & set it on fire. They then toppled the statue. “Genocidal colonist” & “f— cops” are sprayed on monument. Rioters have began to build another autonomous zone nearby. pic.twitter.com/TrZkhPK9zp
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) June 19, 2020
Ngo added:
“The nearly 100-year-old statue of George Washington in NE Portland has been pulled down. There are no police in the area.”
The nearly 100-year-old statue of George Washington in NE Portland has been pulled down. There are no police in the area. #antifa #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/qdiY1Y0Zo8
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) June 19, 2020
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The monument was also covered in vandalism with phrases like:
“Murder,” “Big Floyd,” “1619,” “F**k Cops,” “BLM,” “Land Back,” “White Fragility,” and “You’re on Native Land.”
George Washington is down. #Portlandprotest #statue #blacklivesmatter #PDXprotests #pdx #oregon #blm #acab #pdx #georgewashington #flagburning#StatuesMustFall pic.twitter.com/cDAxoSVS52
— Garrison Davis (Teargas Glutton) (@hungrybowtie) June 19, 2020
Last week, Black Lives Matter rioters also toppled the historic Christopher Columbus statue in Minneapolis.
The Columbus statue was sculpted by an Italian immigrant and was presented as a gift from Minnesota’s Italian-Americans.
The 10-foot tall bronze statue was pulled from its base by protesters outside the state Capitol.
The news comes as protests sweep the US following the death of George Floyd.
