San Rafael demonstrators topple Junipero Serra statue

Activists say the 18th-century Catholic priest, who founded nine of California's missions, contributed to the destruction of Native American cultures.

A group of Indigenous Peoples Day demonstrators tore down the statue of Junipero Serra outside Mission San Rafael Arcángel on Monday in downtown San Rafael.

Protest organizers said the 18th-century Catholic priest, who founded nine of California’s missions, contributed to the destruction of Native American cultures.

Mike Brown, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, said church leaders had not been asked by the protesters to take down the statue prior to Monday’s demonstration.