The renowned statue of Thomas Jefferson was toppled by violent protesters, outside Portland’s Jefferson High School, in Oregon.
The downing comes in light of a recent demonstration held over the weekend.
A large group of protesters gathered at the school’s outside, right before the start of an organized march, held over George Floyd’s brutal death. The crowd, consisting of over 1000 residents, made its way towards the nearby park, where reports claim that a small group of demonstrators pulled the statue down.
The incident’s footage was shared, showcasing nine people, covered in facemasks, standing outside Portland High School, where the incident occurred.
A closer glance of the footage showcases a sturdy rope tied around the famed Thomas Jefferson statue, as one member loosens the statue’s structure with a hammer. Hence, within a few minutes, the statue hits the concrete ground, amid sounds of loud cheer and great applaud.
Reports claim that the statue’s abrupt falling on its side, led to the creation of a large dent, into the exact location of the concrete ground.
Furthermore, reports explained how the statue’s base was already covered in graffiti, reading ‘Black Lives Matter’ as well as ‘George Floyd 8:46.’ This was in relation to the exact amount of time that an officer knelt into a rather helpless Floyd’s neck.
46 -year-old George Floyd, was an African American that died on the spot, when an officer knelt upon his neck, for a staggering duration of nine minutes. The gruesome incident took place this past Memorial Day at Minneapolis, Minnesota.
His sudden death has led to countless protests around the country, with numerous demonstrators opposing his killing as well as systemic racism.
It’s still not clear how long the giant statue was removed for. However, the incident was discovered by the huge group of protestors that returned to the high school’s premises at 10 pm.
Portland’s Jefferson High School has an attendance of 32% black students, which is also one of the largest representations for blacks, in any of Oregon’s high schools. For this reason, it’s not surprising why the community continues to embark in protests.