Vandals spray-paint at least 20 vehicles outside Trump rally in Bangor

[jpak]

Source: Bangor Daily News

BANGOR, Maine — Several attendees left Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s Saturday rally in Bangor to find their parked cars vandalized with white spray paint.

A Bangor police spokesman said officers were “seeking witnesses and reviewing video” in the criminal mischief case at the New York City billionaire’s us-against-them speech blasting “ a rigged system” at the Cross Insurance Center.

More than 20 cars parked between the Bangor Raceway and Buck Street were hit with lines of white paint. Attendees said the owners of some of the cars appeared to drive off without noticing the vandalism.

Paul Foster, a painter and Trump supporter from Eastbrook whose van was painted, said the rally “couldn’t have been more peaceful,” but he blamed the vandalism on Trump opponents, saying “there ain’t no thinking about it, I know so.”

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Read more: http://bangordailynews.com/2016/10/15/news/bangor/vandals-spray-paint-at-least-20-vehicles-outside-trump-rally-in-bangor/

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. An alt-white move?

[world wide wally]

29. Instant winner. ^

[Arkansas Granny]

2. Does anyone else think events like this might be staged by Trump's campaign

or am I being overly suspicious?

[left-of-center2012]

3. My cousin Vinnie n/t

[crim son]

4. I live in Bangor

and I had that thought too. Hard to say... there are idiots on our side too.

[RBInMaine]

14. This kind of thing is pretty uncommon among Maine progressives including around Bangor. I have been

active in local politics in Maine for years and haven't heard of something like this.

It could be random, or angry kids from the neighborhood.

It's not inconceivable that it was staged. Hard to say.

Remember in 2004 when Kerry For President signs were taken down, burned, and the charred remains were left on the steps of the Unitarian Church in Bangor. And antisemitic slurs spray painted at one of the Jewish temples just a few years ago.

Right wingers around Maine can be very nasty.

[Festivito]

6. Painter, Trump supporter says: “there ain’t no thinking about it, I know so.”

...which moves me to heighten my suspicion.

[wordpix]

15. don't think, just "know," charge and jail people, it's the Trumpian way

[RBInMaine]

16. Removed

[cstanleytech]

12. Oh it would not surprise me in the least if that was happening. NT

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

25. I doubt this was staged...I used to live in Bangor

And I am not at all surprised this happened.

[DrToast]

32. It's possible. Remember the 'B' girl from 2008?

[tblue37]

33. My guess is that it is an alt-right black flag op. nt

[George II]

5. What next, burning the Reichstag?

[Kennah]

34. May have already happened

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/north-carolina-police-gop-office-damaged-fire-graffiti-42845425

[truthisfreedom]

7. Any symbolism? I don't see any. Sounds like vandalism

by someone who doesn't have a clear message, other than f@&$ you.

[beachbumbob]

8. The aggressive rhetoric of trump and the angry response by his

Supporters are responsible for any and all such acts....luckily it was just paint is what I'm thinking

[Grins]

9. "Correlation does not imply causation"

Were only Trump supporters targeted?

It's downtown; could some of those cars have been the cars of those attending other events nearby, shopping, at restaurants, movies, etc?

I have never been hit with paint, but I parked one day on a street and later returned to see someone had keyed my car bumper-to-bumper. And the cars in front of mine. And those behind it.

[RBInMaine]

13. This is a bit outside the heart of downtown, but near many residential streets. It could have been

a random act by local kids. It is hard for me to see anti-Trump activists in that area doing that. We just don't generally see that kind of thing in Maine especially on the progressive side. It is not inconceivable that it was pro-Trumpers trying to stage it and make it look like anti-Trumpers.

If it was anti-Trumpers, there is NO excuse at all. Go GOTV, write letters to the editor, write on social media, etc. There are all kinds of PROPER ways to express loathing for Trump without doing that. If caught, whatever the motive, they should be charged, make apologies, pay restitution, do community service, and pay fines. Maybe some jail time too. Just no excuse for that.

Right wing vandalism has occurred in the area in the past. There have been anti-Jewish things spray painted at a local Jewish temple in recent years. And in the 2004 campaign, some obvious right wingers went around taking down Kerry For President signs (which had the American flag on them), piled them up, burned them, and then put the charred remains on the steps of the progressive Unitarian Church. Just disgusting.

[George II]

18. I used to live in Manhattan on CPW. One Saturday morning I went out to my car...

....and saw that mine and about 10 others had both tires on the curb side punctured.

[Igel]

22. People are really searching for excuses to clear their own group.

That's what people do.

I've seen a lot of anti-Trump graffiti and a lot of anti-Trump anger on the part of kids and young adults that believe that Trump's going to deport all Muslims, all immigrants (at least those with non-pale skin, whether legal, illegal, or naturalized), and even all blacks.

What do you say to a non-white born to American citizens of S. Asian or Latino heritage who's terrified that she's going to be rousted from her bed at 4 a.m. if Trump's elected and sent back "home"? "Where did he say that?" is met by, "My father told me this, it has to be right." Or "Google said so."

What he's said is more than bad enough without claiming he's going to deport all Native Americans back to E. Siberia where they came from.

But part of defending one's own group at any price is also making the enemy group to be as bad, ill-spirited, and malicious as possible. We twist the truth in both directions and insist on closing off options that might lead to unpleasant facts.

Who did this? Possibly Trump supporters. Probably not. Possibly good, loyal progressives. Probably not, but that's a bit more likely. One thing for sure, it's somebody who hates, is very angry, and has the firm conviction that not only do they have rights to vigilantism but also no inhibition at implementing those rights. That's not most adults. It's probably somebody who's anti-Trump and not a very deep thinker, although they may believe otherwise, and not somebody in firm grip of their own emotions. (Which they might view as just being "real" or "authentic" or "YOLO." Dorks aren't all that far from assholes.)

[LisaM]

10. Not cool.

I don't care who did it.

[Missn-Hitch]

11. This does not help. That's what they do.

[DURHAM D]

20. I would bet my house that "they" did it.

Losers often try to use dirty tricks.

[Missn-Hitch]

21. Good point. I am thinking of that scumbag cop who spray painted his own car to

make it look like BLM or something to that effect.

I stand corrected.

What a mess. Cheers!

[Ford_Prefect]

17. This looks like someone's cheap thrills that were intended to show up on the TV news.

No particular content, symbols or words, just sprayed paint anywhere they could reach.

I would expect that if it had been staged by Trumpians there would have been crude but readable words and symbols. The same if it was an enraged Democrat. Either way the message does not seem to be about Trump or those who attend him, other than the color of the paint maybe.

[RBInMaine]

19. Usually this kind of thing is done by kids/teens. I don't see local grown progressive adults doing

this. Sorry, I don't mean to impugn teens and kids as most are very good, but this just fits that MO.

[Helen Borg]

23. I cannot condone vandalism, but...

BWHAHAHAH!

[relayerbob]

26. Not cool

When they go low, we go high

What part of that don't people get?

[riversedge]

27. I just hope it is not a Hillary supporter. Wrong, whoever did it.

[SharonClark]

30. Agree.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

28. At least it was white paint.....

[elmac]

31. This is disgusting, no one should be painting cars

white, with deer hunting season just around the corner I believe blaze orange paint is more appropriate.