SAN ANTONIO – After the Alamo Cenotaph was vandalized with red graffiti Friday morning, a group of armed men, who call themselves the Texas Freedom Force, was seen standing guard at the Alamo.
San Antonio police were notified around 1:30 a.m. Saturday about the armed men at the monument, with flags and lawn chairs, standing watch.
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The group claims the monument needs protection and that police were not providing it after it was recently vandalized. The Texas Freedom Force stayed on site for several hours during the night, authorities said.
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The Texas Freedom Force plans to regroup Saturday at the monument with more members and said they will be at the site all week to stand guard.
The north base of the Cenotaph was marked in red spray paint Friday with the words “white supremacy,” “profit over people” and “the ALAMO.” Each line of wording is preceded by a downward facing arrow.
Police have arrested Noah Escamilla, 25, in connection to the monument’s vandalism. It’s unclear if there are others involved in the incident as of yet.
The Cenotaph memorializes the 200 Defenders of the Alamo killed by the Mexican Army in an 1836 assault during the war for Texas independence. The 58-foot-tall marble slab has been a centerpiece of Alamo Plaza in the city’s downtown area since 1939.
Councilman Robert Trevino discusses graffiti on Alamo Cenotaph