Thieves steal bronze plaques at JOSE RIZAL PARK IN SEATTLE

By CONTRIBUTED REPORT 

Thieves descended upon Beacon Hill’s Dr. Jose Rizal Park over the Oct. 12 weekend. They ripped out four bronze plaques and a time capsule from the pedestal beneath a bust of the park’s heroic Filipino namesake, according to a report from The Seattle Times. 

This marked the fourth incident after a rash of summer thefts targeting Seattle-area parks’ statuary and memorials in search of valuable copper scrap metal, the primary element in bronze, the Times report said.

While the Seattle Police Department attributes the acts of vandalism to economic incentive rather than racial or ethnic animus, the lack of a bias motivation is cold comfort to the communities who find all-too-rare recognition in public spaces, where bronze casting conveys a sense of permanence, the report said.

(December 2024)