Name: San Rafael police: Five arrested in connection with toppling Junipero Serra statue
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San Rafael police: Five arrested in connection with toppling Junipero Serra statue

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Indigenous Peoples Day demonstrators tore down a statue of Junipero Serra after covering it in paint at Mission San Rafael Arcángel in San Rafael on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)Five people accused of felony vandalism were arrested Monday for defacing and tearing down the statue of a Spanish missionary outside of St. Raphael Church in downtown San Rafael, police said.According to the San Rafael Police Department, a small group of protesters covered the statue of Junipero Serra with paint before tying straps around it and pulling it down.&nbsp;Serra was an 18th-century Catholic priest who founded nine of California’s missions.The incident happened during a demonstration for Indigenous Peoples Day — the same day as the federally recognized Columbus Day holiday — to protest against the colonization and treatment of Native Americans.The protest of more than 40 people began at 5 p.m. at the church at 1104 Fifth Ave., according to police Sgt. Justin Graham.Protest organizers, who said they were members of the Coast Miwok group, said Serra contributed to the destruction of Native American cultures.Police learned about the planned demonstration a week earlier through social media. The Archdiocese of San Francisco had asked police to use de-escalation techniques and to minimize interactions that could lead to use of force, Graham said.In an effort to keep the incident from escalating, it was a mutual decision that police would observe the demonstration and not intervene, Graham said.“We decided not to get directly involved or interact with the demonstration because we did not want to inflame or escalate the situation,” Graham said. “If there was a violent altercation, a physical fight, we would have intervened, no question.”About 30 minutes into the protest, a small group of demonstrators removed protective tape that was covering the Serra statue and threw red paint on it. The demonstrators also covered the statue with spray paint. The word “rape” was spray-painted on the base.Protesters tied colored straps around the neck of the statue and pulled it down, breaking it at the ankles.Once the demonstrators left the property, police contacted five suspects who they believed to be responsible for the vandalism and detained them. They were issued citations and released at the scene.Cited were Oakland residents Ines Shiam Gardilcic, 40, and Victoria Eva Montanopena, 29; Melissa Aguilar, 36, of Novato; Mayorgi Nadeska Delgadillo, 36, of San Rafael; and Moira Cribben Van de Walker, 25 of San Anselmo. The incident has been referred to the Marin County District Attorney’s Office for review.Lucina Vidauri, an organizer for the rally, declined to comment on Tuesday.Church administrators deferred to the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Mike Brown, a spokesman for the archdiocese, said Monday church leaders had not been asked by the protesters to take down the statue prior to the demonstration.In a statement, the Rev. Salvatore Cordileone, the Archbishop of San Francisco, denounced the vandalism.“We cannot allow a small unelected group of lawbreakers to decide what sacred symbols we Catholics or other believers may display and use to foster our faith,” he said. “This must stop.”Cordileone said Serra is the wrong target for those who want to make a statement about the suffering of Native Americans.“Fr. Serra and his fellow Franciscans renounced all worldly pursuits to give their lives to serving the native peoples and so protected them from the abuses of their fellow Spaniards,” he said. “To look to Fr. Serra as the icon of oppression of the Indians is akin to doing the same with Abraham Lincoln and the institution of slavery in the United States.”Robbie Powelson, a social activist who leads the Tam Equity Campaign and is a candidate for Marin Community College District board, attended the rally to support the local Coast Miwok, he said.“Given the historical period we’re in, this is what healing looks like,” Powelson said of the vandalism. “This is healing after all the violence that has happened and is continuing to happen. Healing is messy.”City Manager Jim Schutz declined to comment, instead deferring to a issued by the city on Tuesday.“During this incident and the subsequent destruction of the statue, it was considered that the statue could be replaced or repaired and that the importance of using sound judgment and de-escalation techniques was paramount to preventing physical interactions between officers and protestors,” the statement said.San Rafael Mayor Gary Phillips said he was initially shocked to learn that police didn’t intercede. But after learning of the agreement between church leaders and police, he said he felt the officers handled the situation “appropriately.”“I think these circumstances resulted in a better outcome,” he said. “No one was hurt. We have their names.”Phillips said he wished the protesters “had gone to the local church to say they had these concerns and come to some resolution.”On Tuesday night, a group of about 100 people gathered outside the church in response to the incident on Monday. The demonstration, which included prayers, was organized by the Archdiocese of San Francisco, according to Brown.PrintThanks for reading!Get unlimited access to enjoy this article and moreAlready a subscriber? LoginView more on

Indigenous Peoples Day demonstrators tore down a statue of Junipero Serra after covering it in paint at Mission San Rafael Arcángel in San Rafael on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)Five people accused of felony vandalism were arrested Monday for defacing and tearing down the statue of a Spanish missionary outside of St. Raphael Church in downtown San Rafael, police said.According to the San Rafael Police Department, a small group of protesters covered the statue of Junipero Serra with paint before tying straps around it and pulling it...

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San Rafael police: Five arrested in connection with toppling Junipero Serra statue

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