Marin DA Urged To Drop Serra Statue Vandalism Case: Report

SAN RAFAEL, CA — Attorneys and activists are urging Marin prosecutors to drop vandalism charges against five people accused of toppling an iconic San Rafael statue depicting a controversial 18th century Franciscan priest, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Supporters of the accused held a virtual news conference Monday, which was Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Last year on the same holiday protesters knocked down the Junípero Serra statue in front of Church of St. Raphael.

Prosecutors on Nov. 11 of last year filed felony charges against the five defendants, according to the report.

Supporters of the San Rafael activists called them the “Indigenous Peoples’ Day Five,” the report said.

The incident occurred amid a national reckoning on racial justice inspired by the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.

Serra’s complicated legacy includes allegations of atrocities against Indigenous people, The Los Angeles Times reports. Others say he protected them.

Statues depicting Serra have been toppled in several American cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacramento.

Read more in The San Francisco Chronicle