COLUMBUS, Ohio - Officials are estimating the cost to clean up damage to the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center, a 1930s art deco structure that houses the Ohio Supreme Court and offices affiliated with the state’s judicial system.
Starting Thursday night and continuing through the weekend, demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, as well as racism in the state and country, marched in Columbus. Some broke windows and sprayed messages on buildings -- remembering Floyd, criticizing police and proclaiming that Black Lives Matter.
George Floyd's name was sprayed pn the sidewalk near the Front Street entrance of the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center. (Laura Hancock/cleveland.com)
On Monday, the building was closed for cleanup of the spray paint and broken glass.
Etched into the stone of the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center is the expression, "They set the cause above renown, and met the foe with fearless eye." The first part of the expression was crossed out with spray paint. (Laura Hancock/cleveland.com)
Protesters damaged the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center over the weekend. (Laura Hancock/cleveland.com)
Another issue keeping the court closed was parking downtown. Columbus city officials put cloths over most meters, saying there’s no parking.
There are few spaces for people to park and run into the court.
“We want to be fair to anyone needing to file something at the court, so we will be closed and extending deadlines by a day,” according to a statement from the court.
First-floor and some second-floor windows of Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center were boarded up, after protesters broke windows on the building. (Laura Hancock/cleveland.com)
The Supreme Court was expected to reopen Tuesday.
Protesters used spray paint at the east and west reflecting pools of the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center. (Laura Hancock/cleveland.com)