Spokane Pride crosswalk vandalized days after teens charged with felonies for leaving scooter skid marks on rainbow pavement

The infamous Spokane LGBTQ Pride crosswalk was vandalized again on Tuesday, this time with paint. The new incident occurred less than a week after three teenagers were charged with felonies for riding scooters over the Pride crosswalk, painted in the street, and leaving skid marks on it. The crosswalk is emblazoned with the colors of the LGBTQ Pride progress flag at a busy downtown intersection.

On Tuesday morning, officials discovered yellow and white paint splashed on the crosswalk after the city worked to have it repainted over the weekend ahead of Spokane's annual Pride parade.

The Spokane Police Department said they are investigating the incident but announced they will no longer be commenting or issuing press releases on vandalism to the Pride crosswalk in an effort to deter future incidents from happening, per KXLY.

In response to the initial incident of vandalism, Lime, a popular electric scooter and bike rental company, enacted a "no-go zone" on the colorful crosswalk. Their scooters and bikes will now shut off if they come within close vicinity of the mural through use of a GPS tracker.

Democrat Gov. Jay Inslee signed legislation to make it a felony to deface public pride symbols in March, which took effect on June 6. The charges come with a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

On June 5, three teens on scooters were arrested shortly after 9 pm for "causing damage to the newly painted Pride mural." They were arrested on first-degree mischief charges, per SPD. Their arrest came after the city had repainted the mural after a group of people set fire to it in May.

Following the May 16 incident, Spokane city officials held a press conference to call out the "hate."