Spokane group rebuilds vandalized pandemic memorial

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A group in Spokane has rebuilt a memorial for victims of the coronavirus pandemic after its was vandalized by protesters on Friday.

KREM-TV reports that thirty people have died among 396 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Spokane County since the outbreak began.

Stronger Together Spokane, a group that works to oppose religious and political extremism, helped create crosses for COVID-19 victims at City Hall in early May. Tom Robinson, who is a member of the group, rebuilt the memorial on Saturday following its vandalism on Friday.

The group posted a video to Facebook that shows members of the Proud Boys, who attended the protest in support of reopening local businesses in defiance of Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-home order, taking credit for vandalizing the memorial.

The Proud Boys are designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, though they adamantly deny connection to the “alt-right.”