Statue of Junípero Serra (San Francisco)

Statue of Junípero Serra
The statue in 2015
SubjectJunípero Serra
LocationSan Francisco, California, U.S.
Coordinates37°46′19″N 122°28′00″W / 37.77183°N 122.46657°W / 37.77183; -122.46657

The 30-foot (9.1 m) tall statue of Junípero Serra sculpted by Douglas Tilden was erected in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park in 1907.

2020 riots

On June 19, 2020 the statue was toppled and defaced by a mob of vandals associated with the George Floyd protest[1] Other nearby monuments were also toppled or otherwise vandalized include: the statue of Francis Scott Key (author of the lyrics to "The Star-Spangled Banner"), Ulysses S. Grant, German poets Goethe-Schiller monument and a group consisting of Don Quixote and his companion, Sancho Panza, kneeling to honor their creator, Cervantes.[2]

According to police statements reported by the press, officers arriving at the scene encountered “several hundred people” actively vandalizing the monuments.[3] When additional officers attempted to approach the mob turned violent, pelting them with various thrown objects.[4] The assault forced officers to withdraw without making arrests, leaving the vandals free to continue destroying the statues.[5]

Reactions

Following the attacks, city work crews removed the affected statues and placed them into storage. The local catholic community was horrified by the desecration of the Serra monument.[6] San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone publicly condemned the incident as "blasphemy and sacrilege".[7] Cordileone further admonished local prosecutors for not pursuing hate crime charges against the perpetrators and stated how Christians are not receiving equal protection under the law.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ Severn, Carly (July 7, 2020). "'How Do We Heal?' Toppling the Myth of Junípero Serra". KQED. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  2. ^ Rubenstein, Steve; Swan, Rachel (June 20, 2020). "Historical statues toppled as rage spills into San Francisco's Golden Gate Park". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  3. ^ "San Francisco Archbishop Holds Exorcism At Golden Gate Park Site Where Serra Statue Was Toppled - CBS San Francisco". www.cbsnews.com. June 30, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  4. ^ ReView, San Francisco Richmond (June 20, 2020). "Statues Vandalized in Golden Gate Park". Richmond Review/Sunset Beacon. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  5. ^ Rubenstein, Steve (June 20, 2020). "SF Chronicle, Golden Fate Park riots".
  6. ^ ""This is Sacrilege": St. Junípero Serra Statue Toppled & Defaced in San Francisco". ChurchPOP. June 20, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  7. ^ "San Francisco Archbishop Holds Exorcism At Golden Gate Park Site Where Serra Statue Was Toppled - CBS San Francisco". www.cbsnews.com. June 30, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  8. ^ CNA. "Cordileone on Serra statue case: Prosecutor signaled attacks against Catholics go unpunished". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved December 1, 2025.

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  • Media related to Father Junipero Serra by Douglas Tilden at Wikimedia Commons


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