Portland rioters tore down historical statues of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, shattered the entrance to the Oregon Historical Society, and vandalized several storefronts during the “Day of Rage” protest.
Organizers created the “Indigenous Peoples Day of Rage” in response to Columbus Day, which is a federally recognized holiday.
They called for “direct action” and warned anyone live-streaming or photographing the riots to “stay away.”
More than 200 people gathered for the event, according to NBC affiliate KGW8, and was declared a riot by Portland police shortly after it began.
Rioters tore down a statue of Lincoln with a chain, but police didn’t show up until an hour later, according to Oregon Live.
Overnight, antifa toppled the statues of Roosevelt & Lincoln in Portland. Police didn’t stop them. Back in June, they toppled the statue of George Washington. No one was ever arrested for that. #PortlandRiots https://t.co/1RaA38rutY
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) October 12, 2020
The group then tore down the statue of Roosevelt, calling him a “colonizer” and warning bystanders that if they do not support the Black Lives Matter movement they should “f— off.”
“F— all you colonizers!…Everyone of you that’s against Black Lives Matter can f— the f— off.”
Antifa rioters in the process of toppling the Portland statue of Roosevelt. They were soon successful in pulling it down. Video by rioter Tracy Lynn Molina. pic.twitter.com/D5XgfX3slR
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) October 12, 2020
President Trump tweeted about the destruction on Monday and urged Portland law enforcement to arrest and prosecute the rioters responsible.
Put these animals in jail, now. The Radical Left only knows how to take advantage of very dumb “leadership” fools. This is Biden! Law & Order! https://t.co/w0yH3SqnrB
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2020