Rioters burned an American flag on top of a statue of George Washington in Portland on Thursday night before destroying the statue by tearing it down.
The statue was pulled down by a group of rioters who reportedly converged on NE Sandy Boulevard and NE 57th Avenue at around 10 p.m.
“Some wrapped the statue’s head in an American flag and lit the flag on fire,” KOIN News reported. “Their numbers grew over the next hour until there were enough people to pull the statue to the ground. They quickly scattered.”
A news crew from the outlet “found the statue face down and covered in graffiti.” Shortly after it was toppled, Portland police arrived on the scene, KOIN reports.
Journalist Andy Ngo tweeted out videos of the destruction of property, writing: “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 began 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 continued: “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
In the final video, Ngo wrote: “Another American flag was laid over the toppled George Washington statue in Portland and set on fire.”
Another American flag was laid over the toppled George Washington statue in Portland and set on fire. #antifa #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/Lm9e7Q84Gr
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) June 19, 2020
Ngo later added a video showing the aftermath and the destruction by the leftist protesters.
Portland wakes up to see what antifa did overnight. A century old statue of George Washington was toppled & set on fire with an American flag. “White fragility,” “Damn white men” & other messages are written on the moment. On the ground nearby: “Defund white men.” pic.twitter.com/zjrsZHJC9o
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) June 19, 2020
Left-wing rioters have destroyed monuments and statues across the country in recent weeks after the death of George Floyd, which follows violent riots and looting that broke out in inner cities across the country.
Last week, rioters destroyed a Christopher Columbus statue in Minneapolis that was created by an Italian immigrant as a gift from the state’s Italian-Americans. The Daily Wire reported:
“The 10-foot bronze statue was pulled from its granite base by several dozen people led by a Minnesota-based Native American activist outside the state Capitol,” Reuters reported. The destruction of property comes as riots have erupted in inner cities amid a wave of protests over the death of George Floyd. Some of the rioters have started to tear down historical monuments that they deem to be offensive.
According to a Minneapolis government web page, “The 10-foot tall bronze sculpture of Christopher Columbus was dedicated on October 12, 1931 and was presented as a gift from Minnesota’s Italian-Americans. The sculpture sits on a red granite base embellished with carvings of sea shells and fish around the top and on either sides are eagles with spread wings atop globe-shaped spheres. Sculptor: Carlo Brioschi, dedicated on October 12, 1931; restoration and preservation efforts in 1992.”
Earlier this week, reports surfaced that Boston was weighing taking down a statue of Abraham Lincoln that featured a freed slave rising to his knees while holding a broken chain. The statue is a replica of the Emancipation Memorial in Washington, D.C., which was purchased by freed slaves as a tribute to Lincoln.
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