LOS ANGELES: An axe-wielding protester hacked out the gold lettering and television logo on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Wednesday.
A man who identified himself to a local news agency as James Lambert Otis said he was the vandal, and had originally intended to remove the entire star from the sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard.
He said he was going to auction it and donate the proceeds to the women who allege they were groped or sexually mistreated by Trump — charges the real estate tycoon denies — but was unable to lift the slab.
“It was very difficult. The stone was like marble — hard to get through,” he said about an hour after the 5:45 am attack on the star.
Dressed in construction overalls, Otis said he used a sledgehammer and pick to hack away Trump’s name and the logo indicating the star had been awarded in the category of television — for Trump’s work on his reality show, “The Apprentice.”
Otis said he still hoped to sell the pilfered pieces and return to do the star further damage.
“I’m not frightened of jail and I’m certainly not frightened of Mr.Trump,” said the man, who claims to have been arrested around two dozen times for protesting various causes.
“This is as bad as hacking the Statue of Liberty,” said onlooker Melrose Larry Green, 65, who described the vandalism as “disgusting.”
“Someone doesn’t want to vote for Donald Trump, that’s fine, go and vote for Hillary Clinton. But this is disgraceful. All this is going to do is get more votes for Donald Trump.”
A man who identified himself to a local news agency as James Lambert Otis said he was the vandal, and had originally intended to remove the entire star from the sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard.
He said he was going to auction it and donate the proceeds to the women who allege they were groped or sexually mistreated by Trump — charges the real estate tycoon denies — but was unable to lift the slab.
“It was very difficult. The stone was like marble — hard to get through,” he said about an hour after the 5:45 am attack on the star.
Dressed in construction overalls, Otis said he used a sledgehammer and pick to hack away Trump’s name and the logo indicating the star had been awarded in the category of television — for Trump’s work on his reality show, “The Apprentice.”
Otis said he still hoped to sell the pilfered pieces and return to do the star further damage.
“I’m not frightened of jail and I’m certainly not frightened of Mr.Trump,” said the man, who claims to have been arrested around two dozen times for protesting various causes.
“This is as bad as hacking the Statue of Liberty,” said onlooker Melrose Larry Green, 65, who described the vandalism as “disgusting.”
“Someone doesn’t want to vote for Donald Trump, that’s fine, go and vote for Hillary Clinton. But this is disgraceful. All this is going to do is get more votes for Donald Trump.”
