October 12, 2020

Statement Regarding Destruction of Art

Sarah Iannarone, candidate for Portland Mayor, released the following statement regarding the destruction downtown on the evening of October 11th / early morning of October 12th.

Public access to art is vital to our city’s cultural fabric. I condemn all acts of violence and destruction, especially those targeting public art. As your next Mayor, I’m ready to talk about how we move this city forward, from rethinking public safety to changing names and removing statues. If someone would like a statue removed, they can engage our public process to register that complaint and I’ll push City Council to listen and act swiftly. Our systems of government have long ignored problematic symbols and impacts of institutional racism, I am committed to changing that as mayor. People are hurting and that pain is valid. But anonymous acts of destruction outside of any agreed-upon process are toxic, unaccountable behavior that has no place in our city. We are not going to be governed by shooting paintballs. That’s not democracy, nor is it fair to those of us who believe in our public process.