Statue of Controversial Catholic Missionary, Junipero Serra, Toppled in Los Angeles

Protesters toppled the statue of Catholic missionary Junipero Serra in Los Angeles’s Placita Olvera district on June 20, as the trend to remove figures who were involved in racism, slavery, or subjugation continued across the United States. Serra founded multiple missions in California in mid-to-late 18th century, and was canonized by Pope Francis in 2015 – a move that was considered controversial as Native Americans reportedly accuse Serra of helping to destroy their culture and allowed them to be brutalized. This video shows the statue in Los Angeles being pulled down, with additional photos showing that Serra’s head was spray-painted red afterwards. On June 19, protesters in San Francisco toppled statues of Serra, Francis Scott Key, a slaveowner best known for writing the lyrics for the American national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, and of Ulysses S. Grant, in the city’s Golden Gate park. Credit: @LATaco/Memo Torres via Storyful

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