Lincoln And Roosevelt Statues Toppled By Portland Protestors On ‘Day Of Rage’

Protestors in Portland, Oregon toppled the statues of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt on the eve of Columbus Day.

KGW reported that a social media post on Sunday called for a demonstration to abolish the police and end colonialism. Organizers referred to the event as the “Indigenous Peoples Day of Rage.”

The police eventually declared that the demonstration was a riot after protestors pulled down the statues of Lincoln and Roosevelt and began breaking windows in the downtown area.

The Oregonian reported that protestors knocked over the statue of Roosevelt first, which went down around 8:51 p.m. As a result, the crowd began to cheer as music played in the background.

Around eight minutes later, the statue of Lincoln was toppled. The base of the statue was also spray-painted at the base with “Dakota 38” written on it. The term was in reference to the 38 Dakota men that were executed after the Dakota-U.S. War of 1862.

Throughout the night, the Portland Police Department tweeted out updates about the riot and warned participants that they would be penalized if caught breaking the law.

“A mass gathering has formed at Southwest Park Avenue and Southwest Madison Street, where some are trying to pull down a statue with a chain. To those taking part: anyone involved in criminal behavior, including vandalism, is subject to arrest or citation,” one post read.