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Driver Defaces Rainbow Intersection In Scott’s Addition With Skid Marks

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The driver of a Lexus with drift-enabling modifications did donuts across the rainbow intersection outside Richmond Triangle Players’ Robert B. Moss Theatre.

Yesterday an obnoxious driver did donuts across the rainbow painting in the intersection of Marshall and Altamont streets in Scott’s Addition, seemingly with the intent to vandalize. The rainbow, an LGBTQ-affirming message of support from the city, is located in front of the Robert B. Moss Theatre, the home of LGBTQ theatrical troupe Richmond Triangle Players.

The act was witnessed by RTP Artistic Director Lucian Restivo, who caught a glimpse of the driver’s license plate, as did RTP Executive Director Phil Crosby. “Some jerk with the license plate “Is King” just purposely made three donuts on our Pride Plaza!” Crosby wrote on Facebook. “I wonder if defacing public art is a crime?”

“Doing donuts” is the act of throwing a car into a circular skid, generally with the intent to leave a rubber skid-mark on the road.

Restivo took a picture of the car as it fled the scene. The license plate Crosby identified is registered to a 2004 Lexus IS 300, which matches the vehicle in the photo. The car also has modifications of the sort used to facilitate drift racing, including a ground-effect body kit.

Photo by Lucian Restivo/Via Facebook

The incident was reported to Richmond Police.

Richmond City Council member Kim Gray, who represents the city’s 2nd District, released a statement strongly condemning the actions of the unknown driver.

“The Richmond Triangle Players have been an integral part of the Richmond community for more than a quarter century and have been leaders in promoting diversity,” Gray stated. “Their strong commitment to the City’s LGBTQ community is exemplified by the Rainbow Crosswalk painted last year in front of their theater in the Scott’s Addition neighborhood. One individual’s senseless act of vandalism will not deter our commitment to equality and diversity. I pledge to work with the Triangle Players and the City administration to take whatever immediate action is necessary to restore and repaint this crosswalk.”

If you have any information on this incident, please contact the Richmond Police Department.

Top Photo by John Reinhold

Jefferson Davis Statue Vandalized for Second Day in a Row

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The statue celebrating Jefferson Davis on Monument Avenue has been tagged with “racist” for the second time in as many days, after crews from Virginia Beach cleaned the same word from a previous tagging late Monday night.

This time, however, the penmanship was better and a second line was added along the bottom of the pedestal with the words “Ban KKK.” Another Confederate monument was vandalized in Norfolk, Virginia, also with red spray paint, reading “#2 Better Luck Never.” It’s a reference to the idea that Confederate monuments serve as participation trophies, a phrase that first emerged as criticism of youth culture before developing into a general weapon in culture war debates.

All of this comes after a tense summer with an over-hyped neo-Confederate rally and a long-postponed discussion in Richmond about Monument Avenue and the Confederate statues. A resolution from Councilman Michael Jones on the statues was scheduled for discussion on Monday but postponed, similarly to the meetings of the Monument Avenue Commission, which is tasked with leading discussions on contextualization of the statues or even removal.

The Commission held only one of its scheduled meetings, which was a constrained but often contentious and raucous debate. The commission’s future meetings have been postponed until a few days after the upcoming election on November 7. The next meeting, which will not allow open comment or discussion, will be held on Nov. 14 at 6 pm at the Library of Virginia.

At least one group says the graffiti has spurred them to new action; the CSA II group, previously responsible for the aforementioned neo-Confederate rally, says the graffiti is a “no go,” using it as a justification for their next planned rally on December 9th.

 

*Photos by Landon Shroder

 

Update: Man who set fire to American flag charged with arson

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UPDATE: The man who burned the American flag turned himself in less than 24 hours later. Andrew Rosas, 26, of Catherine Street, surrendered to the Richmond Police headquarters around 10:30 p.m. yesterday, according to CBS 6.

He has been charged with arson.

 

Andrew Rosas (Photo: Richmond Police)

ORIGINAL: Richmond police are investigating after a video surfaced online of a man burning an American flag at a home in the Fan yesterday.

The video was posted by a woman who identified herself on social media as the flag owner’s neighbor. It shows a younger-looking man approach the front porch on Floyd Avenue, fiddle with the flagpole, then set fire to the flag with a lighter. As soon as the flag was lit, the man left the scene.

The time stamp on the video shows the man approached the house around 2:15 a.m. Wednesday. The homeowner, James Tanner, has told other media outlets he doesn’t know who the man is that burnt his flag.

Police say the suspect will at least face a vandalism charge according to NBC 12.

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