Three are arrested for toppling and vandalizing Portland war memorial as protesters graffiti businesses with racist and anti-Thanksgiving messages
- Memorial in Lone Fir Cemetery was vandalized overnight in Portland, police say
- A statue on top of the memorial was also toppled and sprayed with red paint
- At least 10 other businesses were vandalized overnight, according to police
- Words ‘F**k Thanksgiving’, ‘decolonize’, and ‘colonizers’ were written on them
- Police arrested Chester Hester, 24, Nicole Noriega, 38, and Bailey Willack, 23
- They were booked into the Multnomah County Jail, and each face 10 counts of first-degree criminal mischief. It’s not clear if they have attorneys
Three people have been arrested in Portland after a memorial dedicated to war veterans was vandalized and a statue was toppled during protests early Thursday morning.
Videos and images showed red paint sprayed onto the column located in the Lone Fir Cemetery with the words: ‘F**k USA.’
A statue that was mounted on top of the structure was also toppled and seen on the ground covered in red paint.
The memorial, which was erected in 1903, honors soldiers of the Civil, Spanish-American, Mexican, and Indian wars, according to the cemetery’s website.
A memorial dedicated to war veterans was vandalized and a statue was toppled during protests in Portland early Thursday morning
A statue that was mounted on top of the structure was also toppled and seen on the ground covered in red paint. The memorial, which was erected in 1903, honors soldiers of the Civil, Spanish-American, Mexican, and Indian wars, according to the cemetery’s website
In addition to the vandalized memorial, at least 10 businesses in Portland were damaged overnight.
Portland police said they responded to reports of a group of people smashing windows and spray-painting graffiti on buildings.
Businesses sustaining damage include banks, an auto service center, a shipping store and other storefronts, police said.
Authorities said they arrested 24-year-old Chester Hester, 38-year-old Nicole Noriega and 23-year-old Bailey Willack. One of the group members was carrying a semi-automatic pistol and could face weapons charges.
They were booked into the Multnomah County Jail, and each face 10 counts of first-degree criminal mischief. It’s not clear if they have attorneys.
In addition to the vandalized memorial, at least 10 businesses in Portland were damaged overnight
Portland police said they responded to reports of a group of people smashing windows and spray-painting graffiti on buildings
Authorities didn’t provide a cost estimate of the damage.
Police say that, based on statements from witnesses, more people were likely involved, and they plan to continue investigating.
The protest took place after a call to action on Wednesday urged indigenous protesters to attack symbols of colonialism, capitalism, and gentrification ahead of Thanksgiving.
Members of Antifa said in a Facebook post that they’re ‘tired of seeing white people celebrate the genocide of our ancestors’.
‘F**k thanksgiving,’ the post reads. ‘Organize your own direct action.’
It’s unclear if the three individuals arrested identified as members of the anti-fascist protest movement.
‘Fuck Thanksgiving’ graffiti is pictured on the window of a business on Southeast Hawthorne Street in Portland
Graffiti is pictured by a Bank of America ATM on Southeast Hawthorne Street in Portland after a call to action on Wednesday which urged indigenous protesters to attack symbols of colonialism, capitalism, and gentrification
‘Land Back’ graffiti is pictured on a business on Southeast Hawthorne Street in Portland on Thursday
A man walks past anti-gentrification messages on Umpqua Bank on Southeast Hawthorne Street in Portland on Thursday
Portland has been the site of more than 100 nights of protests – many turning violent – following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in May.
The city was the scene of almost nightly clashes between Black Lives Matter protesters and local and federal law enforcement over the summer.