Iconic Portland elk statue removed from downtown after fire set during protest

Lizzy Acker
The Oregonian
Thu, 02 Jul 2020 17:42 UTC

© Portland Police Bureau

Elk fountain on fire, July 1-2, 2020.

A 120-year-old statue of an elk has been removed from downtown Portland after protesters lit a fire that damaged its base Wednesday night.

The statue, which sits atop the David P. Thompson Fountain, has been the target of graffiti and fires during the weeks of protests against systemic racism, police brutality and the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.

"The fire did not seem to harm the elk," said Keith Lachowicz, the Public Art Collections Manager with Regional Arts and Culture Council.

A fire was also set under the statue Tuesday night.

The elk and fountain were donated to the city by one-time mayor David P. Thompson in 1900 to honor elk that once roamed the Willamette Valley. The statue sits between Chapman and Lownsdale squares, across from the Justice Center, the focal point of nightly protests.

It had been in the same place for 120 years and was originally designed to water horses, Lachowicz said.

Usually, it functions as a fountain in the summer, he said, though this year it wasn't turned on because of concerns over spreading COVID-19.

The Regional Arts and Culture Council and the city decided the damage to the granite base of the statue was so severe the piece needed to be removed for public safety reasons, Lachowicz said.

They were concerned the statue would fall over and injure someone, he added.

Police said they are investigating the damage.

"Engaging in criminal activity including vandalism and property damage is not peaceful demonstration," said Portland Police Bureau Chief Chuck Lovell in a statement. "We ask for the public's help in identifying and sharing information about those responsible so they can be held accountable."

Lachowicz said the Regional Arts and Culture Council has been cleaning the elk frequently during the ongoing protests.

"It's had graffiti removed at least 20, 25 times," he said.

Now, that the elk has been removed, Lachowicz said, it will get a more focused cleaning.

"What is going to happen moving forward is kind of an unknown," he added, "but the damage to the stonework is significant."

Comment: More from Portland: Vandals spray-paint and BURN Portland's 'Promised Land' statue

Rioters in Oregon used fireworks to torch the 'Promised Land' statue depicting a pioneer family at the end of the Oregon Trail. The vandals also laid siege to the city's Justice Center in what police deemed a "riot."

The city of Portland is known nationwide as a hotbed of left-wing activism, and protesters there have embraced the 'Black Lives Matter' cause with gusto. After incinerating a statue of an elk on Wednesday, a mob of rioters returned to Chapman Square on Thursday night, where they soon began shooting fireworks and what police say were "mortars" at the Justice Center across the street.

The violence was captured on social media, with videos depicting the bombardment, as well as the police response.

As the raging activists formed a phalanx of improvised shields outside the Justice Center, 'The Promised Land' was plastered in stickers, spray-painted, and then set ablaze with fireworks. Protesters celebrated as the statue went up in flames.

By Friday morning, the bronze monument was charred and scorched.

'The Promised Land' has been on the chopping block for some time. Its base is inscribed with a quote by Thomas Jefferson, the Founding Father and slave owner whose statues have been ripped from their pedestals across the country, including in Portland.