Another Shattering : ‘Goddess’ Statue in Chinatown Destroyed

Los Angeles’ replica of the “Goddess of Democracy” statue, erected in June by artists to memorialize the original destroyed by Chinese troops in their bloody quelling of a Beijing protest, lay in ruins itself Monday morning, apparently the victim of unknown saboteurs.

Police said it appeared that the statue had been shoved over late Sunday night by vandals who first sliced through two ropes anchoring it to the side of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Assn. headquarters on Broadway.

“I guess somebody doesn’t like democracy,” said a stunned Tom Van Sant, the artist who designed the local “Goddess.” Asked if he intends to rebuild his 1,000-pound replica, Van Sant replied, “You betcha. . . . We did this because the first one was torn down. I don’t see much difference in this case.”

The 23-foot-high wood and plastic foam monument previously had survived a 4.5-magnitude earthquake and a move to Chinatown after its eviction from a Civic Center footbridge.

Police said they had no immediate suspects. But Benevolent Assn. leaders, who said that their headquarters also was the site of a recent arson attempt, speculated that the vandals had political motives.

“It was sabotaged by somebody . . . who was shameful of looking at what the statue symbolized--democracy,” association secretary James Wong said. “I’m angry and I feel sorry for them.”

Joe Cortez, parking manager of Little Joe’s Restaurant directly across the street from the shattered statue, said: “We heard the noise about 10:30 p.m. and then I saw a couple of Oriental guys in their teens running away.”

On Monday morning, the shattered statue lay on the steps of the association headquarters, its back in pieces and its head decapitated from its fall to the asphalt. Small chunks of plastic foam lay on the sidewalk and in gutters, trampled by pedestrians walking to work or to nearby eateries.

‘Kind of Sad’

Several passers-by stopped to express concern about the toppled monument.

“I think it’s kind of sad,” said John Ng, 41, an accountant with a Chinatown office. “This statue should have remained here permanently. It reminds us of the tragedy in China.”

Others expressed indifference or a marked lack of recollection about the symbol of events that shook the world fewer than two months ago.

“I just don’t care,” said one local office worker, who refused to give her name. “It’s political stuff and I’m not interested. I just want to lead a normal life.”