Flags celebrating LGBTQ pride painted onto 11 city-owned barricades outside Bangor restaurants were defaced overnight.
The cement barricades have been set up to mark outdoor dining areas for Bangor restaurants during the coronavirus pandemic. Their surfaces had been painted the colors of LGBTQ and transgender rights flags during Pride month in June as part of a project by Downtown Bangor, a group of business owners, artists and volunteers.
A business owner shared surveillance video capturing the incident with Bangor police, who are investigating the case as criminal mischief, lieutenant Catherine Rumsey said.
Susan Stephenson, the owner of Pepino’s restaurant in Bangor, said that a friend alerted her to the vandalism outside her restaurant early this morning. Stephenson posted from the Pepino’s social media account that she was “saddened to see this destruction and disrespect of both property and people” in Bangor.
Similarly painted barricades outside seating areas at Black Bear Brewing, 11 Central and Paddy Murphy’s were also defaced.
BDN writer Natalie Williams contributed to this report.