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Protesters knock down Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt statues in Portland

Protesters knock down Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt statues in Portland
Posted at 11:37 AM, Oct 12, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-12 12:37:31-04

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Protesters overturned statues of former Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt in Portland, Oregon, Sunday night in a declaration of “rage” towards Columbus Day.

Protest organizers dubbed the event “Indigenous Peoples Day of Rage,” in response to Monday’s federal holiday named after 15th-century Italian explorer Christopher Columbus.

The group threw chains around Roosevelt’s statue, pulling it down just before 9 p.m. Protesters then turned their attention to Lincoln’s statue, pulling it down about eight minutes later.

Police say windows were broken on several buildings and declared a riot.

Along with Columbus, historians have said both presidents have expressed hostility and racism toward Native Americans.