SPOKANE, Wash. — Street cleaners filled the intersection at Howard and Spokane Falls Friday morning; not to clean up after an overnight event at Riverfront Park, but to wash away white paint that was seemingly thrown onto the Pride crosswalk.
The mayor's office took to X (formerly Twitter) Friday morning to express disappointment in an apparent vandalism of the Pride crosswalk near Riverfront Park. In a statement, the mayor's office called the vandalism "unacceptable" and said actions like this are not what Spokane stands for.
"We are better than this," the tweet said. "It's time for us to expect better of each other and of our actions."
The crosswalk vandalism comes less than a month after the Pride crosswalk on Perry Street was vandalized with graffiti. That rainbow crosswalk came about as a collaboration between the city of Spokane and Spokane Arts as a part of the 'Asphalt Art' program. Spokane Arts wanted to have that graffiti cleaned up shortly after the incident, but had to obtain an obstruction permit to close the street for maintenance.
The Odyssey Youth Movement was also the victim of vandalization. The organization took to Facebook to share photos of the outside of the building and the external Pride crosswalk, both of which were vandalized.
"We will not be silenced by hate," the post said. "The LGBTQ+ community belongs in Spokane and Odyssey will continue to advocate for safety & inclusion."
The Spokane Police Department (SPD) responded to several murals across the city for reported vandalism. They said potential suspects haven't been identified and the investigation is ongoing.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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