A late September protester in Portland burns an American flag
Protesters in Portland, US, toppled statues of the 25th US President Theodore Roosevelt and the 16th President Abraham Lincoln. They did so in protest against Columbus Day, which is celebrated on 12 October.
It is reported that the monument to Lincoln was written “Dakota 38” – a reminder of the execution of 38 American Aborigines, the decree of which he signed after the Sioux uprising. On the pedestal of the statue of Roosevelt, the inscription “stolen land” was left, recalling his work with Indian reservations. Chains and a car were used to knock down the monuments.
The protesters smashed a number of enterprises and damaged property – including the Historical Society, a museum of state history. The action was called “Indigenous Peoples Fury Day” and was directed against the colonization of America. Slogans were also shouted in support of the Black Lives Matter movement (BLM, “Black lives matter”).
It is noted that the key role in the performance was played by a group of people in all black, with their faces covered. City Mayor Ted Wheeler denounced their behavior as “obscene and anarchist” and three people were arrested, including a man who shot at the windows with a pistol.
In Portland, regular protests against racial injustice have continued for a month, starting with the death of prisoner George Floyd in May. In late August, a protester shot and killed a member of the Patriot Prayer patriotic group who responded to the protest.
