The Pioneer and Pioneer Mother statues were torn down by protesters at the University of Oregon.
The Pioneer and Pioneer Mother statues were both sculpted by Alexander Phimister Proctor and installed in 1919 and 1932, respectively.1 They joined a statue of Thomas Jefferson in Portland as two of three statues torn down in Oregon during police brutality protests over the weekend.2
These statues have been subject to previous vandalism. In 2019, the Pioneer statue was symbolically painted red on its whip and crotch.3 The University had also explored removing the statue after controvery by forming a committee to address controversial monuments.4 Protesters instead took direct action.5 Removal of the statue was part of demonstrators’ demands.6
References
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As Protests Continue in Portland and Other Cities, Demonstrators Topple UO Statues ↩︎
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Protesters pull down Thomas Jefferson statue in front of Portland high school ↩︎
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New research reveals the Pioneer statue’s controversial history ↩︎
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Pioneer statues toppled amid protests at University of Oregon ↩︎
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Breaking: Protesters tear down pioneer statues after Deady Hall protest ↩︎