The redevelopment of the Alamo, which Bush oversees as land commissioner, has prompted pushback across the political spectrum.

SAN ANTONIO – A man accused of defacing the Alamo Cenotaph last year has been formally charged in an indictment by a Bexar County grand jury. Noah Benjamin Escamilla, who was 25 years old when the alleged crime was committed on May 29, 2020, is accused of causing between $2,500 and $30,000 worth of damage to the Cenotaph, according to the Bexar County District Attorney’s office. This case is being prosecuted by the Criminal Trial Division in the 290th District Court. Graffiti found in multiple places downtown, including cenotaph in Alamo PlazaThe Cenotaph was just one of several structures marked with graffitied messages against white supremacy and police on the same night. The indictment is just for the graffiti found on the Cenotaph.

SAN ANTONIO – BREAKING NEWS UPDATE:By a 12-2 vote, the Texas Historical Commission voted down the idea of moving the Alamo Cenotaph. ORIGINAL STORY:A decision on the relocation of the Alamo Cenotaph is expected to reach a vote as the modern-day battle over the plaza renovation rages on. The Texas Historical Commission on Tuesday is expected to discuss and vote on the empty tomb honoring the Alamo Defenders. Opponents of the Alamo Master Plan have continued to fire shots at the redesign, specifically Lt. Gov. 122, have argued the relocation of the cenotaph would be too far from the Alamo Mission building.

SAN ANTONIO – Groups of protesters rallied at the Alamo Saturday afternoon against a plan to relocate the Alamo Cenotaph. The Alamo Master Plan, proposed by the state, calls for the cenotaph to be moved 500 feet south of where it is now. Those who oppose the plan said it interferes with the Alamo's history. The cenotaph was first built in 1939 as a memorial to those who fought during the Battle of the Alamo. Patrick says Alamo Master Plan ‘badly off track,’ citing plaza design, Cenotaph relocation

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. 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. Councilman Robert Trevino discusses graffiti on Alamo Cenotaph

SAN ANTONIO San Antonio District 1 Councilman Robert Trevino is holding a press conference at 3:30 p.m. about the graffiti found overnight Friday at the Alamo Cenotaph. The news conference will be livestreamed in this article. A message scrawled across the marble base of the memorial, which honors the defenders of the Alamo, first came to the attention of San Antonio Park Police shortly after midnight Friday. RELATED STORIES:

State Rep. Lyle Larson, R-Dist. 122, is urging the Texas Historical Commission to reject a plan to move the Alamo Cenotaph. Larson sent a letter to the members of the commission saying the monument should remain on the Alamo grounds. In his letter, Larson cited a recent decision by the National Park Service to preserve monuments where they stand in the Gettysburg National Military Park. “As with the monuments in Gettysburg Park, it is important to honor those who bravely defended the Alamo by keeping the Cenotaph where it currently stands in Alamo Plaza,” Larson said.

The debate over the Alamo Cenotaph has shifted. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241.