One adult and two juveniles in Spokane, Washington, were charged with felonies after riding scooters across an LGBTQ+ crosswalk; the scooter rental company then declared a no-go zone to protect the mural.
Spokane police investigated after receiving reports of vandalism on the mural, claiming to have personally witnessed some of the damage.
“Seeing the hostility that exists in Spokane is unsettling… We refuse to allow a small group of terrible people to ruin Pride Month.
After making three arrests, they accused three individuals, two of whom were children, of a class B felony of first-degree intentional mischief.
According to a criminal complaint, when other residents addressed the teenagers during the event, they retaliated with derogatory remarks.
The Pride mural has “widespread damage,” according to the investigators, with “black scuff marks compatible with scooter wheels.” About fourteen black skid marks were visible in the police report’s accompanying photos.
Scooter rental business Lime announced that it will be implementing a “no-go zone” over the mural. If users attempt to ride into the LGBTQ+ crosswalk, this will prevent their gadgets from working. When a scooter enters a no-go area, it will gradually stop until the rider exits the area on foot.
Lime Director of Government Relations Hayden Harvey made a statement to the National Desk in which he vehemently denounced the “vile” acts of hatred perpetrated by scooter wheels.
“At Lime, we wholeheartedly denounce these abhorrent actions,” declared Harvey.
“It is alarming to witness the bigotry occurring in Spokane during a time when our colleagues at Lime are starting pride festivities around the world,” he continued. “We are appreciative of those striving to make Spokane a more inclusive place for everyone, and we will not allow the cruel few to sabotage the joy of Pride Month in Spokane.”
We identified Ruslan V. V. Turko, a 19-year-old adult, but did not recognize the two children due to their age.
Through a fundraiser, Spokane Pride claimed to have earned enough money to cover the cost of repairing the mural’s black, hateful scuff marks.
Additionally, police claim that they recently restored the painting to repair damage from the May fire at the crosswalk.
