Police identified several cars vandalized with white paint outside a rally in Bangor, Maine, for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Saturday, officials say.
The investigation is ongoing and new information will not be released until Monday, but so far no one has been charged, the Bangor Daily News reported. Officers were “seeking witnesses and reviewing video” in the criminal mischief case, a Bangor Police spokesman said in a statement released Saturday.
More than 20 parked cars were sprayed with lines of white paint. Attendees said the owners of some of the cars appeared to drive off without noticing the vandalism.
Paul Foster, a Trump supporter from Eastbrook whose van was painted, said the rally itself was peaceful and blamed the vandalism on anti-Trump protesters. “Why can’t they do a peaceful protest instead of painting cars, all of this, to make their statement?” he said.
Trump supporters weren’t the only ones affected by the vandalism. Tim Hanlon, whose rental car was also painted, said he went to “see what this idiot had to say and should have known not to come around.”
Rye Powell of Bangor is leaning toward supporting Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, but showed up at the rally because he wants to hear both sides before he makes his decision. Powell, whose Toyota Prius was vandalized as well, said that it’s unfortunate that Trump supporters “very quick to be victimized” were targeted.
“I do hope that they can find out who did this or at least the person who did this can come to some kind of personal conclusion that this isn’t how you change minds,” Powell said, “because I think the only thing that this will have is a reaffirming effect.”