MIAMI (WSVN) - The Christopher Columbus and Juan Ponce De Leon statues at Bayfront Park were vandalized as protesters marched in downtown Miami to demonstrate against racial inequality, leading police to arrest seven people.
BREAKING: What started as a peaceful protest in Downtown Miami, quickly turned destructive. Demonstrators used spray paint to vandalize the Christopher Columbus statute at Bayfront Park @wsvn pic.twitter.com/M9q7tRvKPV
— Franklin H. White (@FranklinOnAir) June 10, 2020
Signs reading “Black Lives Matter” and “Defund the police” could be seen throughout the crowd, Wednesday evening.
Close to 60 people gathered at the Freedom Tower in downtown and then proceeded south along Biscayne Boulevard toward Bayfront Park.
Soon after, some in the group used spray paint to deface the statue of Columbus in Bayfront Park.
The statue’s face, chest, and hands were painted red, and messages reading “Our streets,” “Black Lives Matter” and “George Floyd” were spray-painted on the statue’s stand.
Reactions to the incident are mixed among residents.
“It’s no good,” said one resident. “I think it’s no good.”
“It sends a message, but I think it’s a valid message,” said one resident. “I don’t necessarily agree with the vandalism, but take it down.”
“Things need to change, but I think that’s not the way, you know?” said one resident.
According to Miami Police, they were able to identify three of the six subjects accused of vandalizing the statue from the command center.
Police said it was from their command center from where they identified the suspects.
“The order was given to go into the crowd and arrest just these three individuals,” said Miami Police officer Michael Vega.
When things took a violent turn, responding officers ended up arresting six men and a woman.
“A couple of our officers were hit over the head with skateboards,” Vega said. “One of our officer’s windshield was cracked by a skateboard.”
One protester climbed the steps of the statue and began spraying the face and hands of the figure, possibly signifying blood on his hands.
Others spray-painted the communist symbol and clenched fists onto the plaque.
Meanwhile, another group spray-painted the Ponce De Leon statue a short distance away.
Columbus was credited for discovering the New World, but has been criticized for his violent treatment of Native Americans.
The department released surveillance video of the moment police officers arrived on scene. Officers could be seen chasing after the suspected vandals, while some protesters fled the scene.
Authorities said one police cruiser was damaged when an officer attempted to leave the scene. Video shows a group of protesters surrounding the vehicle and jumping on the hood before one individual slammed the vehicle with an unidentified object.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said, “That protest crosses the line and damaged properties. That’s something we’re not going to tolerate. We arrested the two individuals that were defacing the statue. One of them claimed to be from London.”
On Thursday, some of the subjects appeared in bond court.
About two dozen of their supporters showed up at the Metro Justice Building where they watched the hearings on their phones.
Police said the City of Miami supports people’s right to protest, but they have zero tolerance for violence or vandalism.
“We want to make sure the public knows that we’re not here to arrest you if you’re doing a peaceful protest,” Vega said. “However, once you do the vandalism, you will be going to jail.”
Police stressed that all seven of the arrests either had to do with the defacing of the statues or the violent altercation between protesters and police officers.
City officials said they will not remove the statue, but they are open to the conversation.
A group that is against the vandalism is scheduled to hold a news conference at address the situation on Friday beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.