ATLANTA — A 26-year-old man has been charged with vandalizing the Eternal Flame at the King Center in Atlanta early Saturday morning.
Brent Jones is accused of damaging the Eternal Flame and urinating in the reflection pool at the King Center around 4:30 a.m. on Saturday. He faces charges including public indecency and criminal damage.
The King Center released the following statement:
“The King Center is aware of a minor incident that occurred near the Eternal Flame. While there was minimal damage to the Eternal Flame and the surrounding area, The King Center remains fully open to visitors. The Eternal Flame still burns with love, and we continue to welcome everyone with open arms and gratitude for the incredible support of our beloved community. The dream lives on.”
Mitch Blaylock, who witnessed the damage during his drive through Atlanta, expressed his thoughts on the incident. “We saw the, you know, the tomb. And then I turned to, you know, show my mom the eternal flame, and I said, Oh, wait a second, that’s something’s wrong here…Usually, there’s an eternal flame there,” Blaylock told Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers.
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The King Center continues to welcome visitors, standing resilient in the face of the recent vandalism. “The light will shine through the darkness,” Blaylock remarked, “You can’t stomp on King’s legacy.”
The nearby National Historic Site, which includes Martin Luther King Jr.’s childhood home and the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, is closed due to the government shutdown.
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