vandalism news stories on Newser

300 Arrested in Occupy Oakland Chaos

Mark Russell — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:05:57 CST

Occupy Oakland yesterday had its stormiest protests since November, with about 300 people were arrested in a chaotic day, reports the AP . About 2,000 demonstrators gathered at one point, clashing with police throughout the day. Some protesters hurled rocks, bottles, and other objects, while City Hall was broken into...

Occupy Oakland Protesters Decry, Debate Vandals

Kevin Spak — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 14:01:05 CDT

A group of Occupy Oakland protesters met yesterday to decry the handful of masked protesters who turned Wednesday night’s protest from a peaceful one into a violent clash with cops . “They are smearing our movement,” one protester declared to applause. “People who want to destroy our community are not welcome...

Polish Monument to Massacre of Jews Vandalized

Kate Schwartz — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 09:39:34 CDT

A horrifying story with a cruel twist: Vandals have graffitied a monument in Poland that marked the spot where as many as 400 Jews were burned alive in a barn during World War II. But in addition to defacing it with a spray-painted green swastika, they wrote the unthinkable: "They...

Vandals Hit Minnesota Parks During Shutdown

Tim Karan — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:57:05 CDT

The government shutdown in Minnesota has claimed an unexpected casualty—state parks. Vandals ransacked buildings and burglarized parks over the holiday weekend, reports the Star Tribune . The most severe damage was done at a park east of the Twin Cities, where 12 people were arrested for allegedly breaking into camper...

Chicago's Gay Pride Parade Vandalized

Evann Gastaldo — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 15:04:05 CDT

As New Yorkers celebrated arguably the best Gay Pride weekend of their lives, Chicago’s Pride Parade got vandalized. Tires were punctured on 51 floats overnight, including the float for openly gay state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, but many of the floats were repaired in time to join the parade by today's...

Protesters Smash 'Piss Christ'

Kevin Spak — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:50:05 CDT

A pair of extreme Catholic protesters celebrated Palm Sunday this weekend by bursting into the Museum of Contemporary Art in Avignon, France, and smashing Andres Serrano’s (in)famous photograph “Immersion Piss Christ,” and some other works of art they objected to, with hammers. According to a French report translated by the...

Harvard Vandals Douse Gay-Issues Books With Pee

Matt Cantor — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:03:52 CST

Some 40 books on gay issues were vandalized at a Harvard library last month, doused with what's believed to be urine. An empty bottle was found next to the volumes, add the staff members, who have spent the last two weeks determining the value of the books, which they place...

Swiss Man May Be Caned for Singapore Graffiti

Rob Quinn — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:38:09 CDT

A Swiss software executive may be facing—or, rather, facing away from—a caning after pleading guilty to spraying graffiti on a Singapore subway. Oliver Fricker, 32, broke into a train depot with an accomplice and vandalized subway cars last month, AP reports. Under Singapore law, vandalism is punishable by...

Photog Sues Sean Penn Over Alleged Death Threat

M. Morris — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 15:41:53 CDT

Sean Penn is already facing criminal charges in the wake of a run-in with a photographer in October, and the actor is now the defendant in a civil case about the incident as well. Jordan Dawes alleges that the volatile actor kicked him and broke his camera, then said, "The...