Some historical statues in Portland, including one of pioneer Harvey Scott and another of a White settler with his family, are being permanently decommissioned, according to local reports.
"The Monuments Project has been a long and complicated process — much like our nation’s long and complicated history — and while this process has been lengthy, we are finally making progress," Portland Commissioner Dan Ryan said in a statement, KGW8 reported. "The Elk is returning, The Promised Land is retired, and the presidents are getting repaired."
Statues of former presidents, including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, are being repaired and are slated to return to Portland, according to a local NBC affiliate.
The statue of former Oregonian editor-in-chief Scott, which protesters knocked down in October 2020, won't be restored, however, KGW8 reported. Neither will "The Promised Land," which shows a White settler with his wife and child.
Other historical statues, notably the Thompson elk statue, will be returned after being toppled in 2020. The statue, erected in 1900, was located in downtown Portland and is slated to return to its original spot, according to the city.
"Portlanders will have many more opportunities to engage as we continue this dialogue — I am hopeful that when the monuments are returned with interpretations, they will serve to both inform and heal our community," Ryan said.
Several statues were toppled during Portland's 2020 protests and riots. They also resulted in numerous buildings getting their windows smashed, including the Oregon Historical Society.
Andy Ngo, a journalist who documented the unrest in the city, posted images of the destruction on X. The Oregonian reported that protesters brought down statues of Lincoln and Roosevelt.
The police department announced at the time that those "trying to pull down a statue with a chain" or taking part in vandalism are "subject to arrest." They later declared a riot.
PORTLAND ARTS COUNCIL VOTES NOT TO RESTORE WASHINGTON, LINCOLN STATUES TOPPLED IN 2020 RIOTS
"These are Biden fools. ANTIFA RADICALS. Get them FBI, and get them now!" then-President Trump wrote on social media.
The Portland Arts and Culture Council did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Fox News' Edmund DeMarche and Pilar Arias contributed to this report.
from https://ift.tt/gl9y0Cq
0 Comments