Quakers from University Friends Meeting ask that Seattleites keep an eye out for a life-size statue of Sadako Sasaki that went missing from her home in Peace Park last night. Someone apparently cut off the statue at her ankles, leaving only her disembodied feet at the park.
The statue, known as Sadako and the Thousand Cranes, depicts a young Japanese girl who initially survived the 1945 bombings of Japan, in which the United States military dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians. Like tens of thousands of other Japanese civilians, Sasaki developed leukemia from the lingering radiation in Hiroshima. She attempted to fold 1,000 cranes, a symbol of peace to bring her health, according to legend.
Peace activist and Quaker Dr. Floyd Schmoe, honored for his work in Japan after the bombings, used his prize money from the 1998 Hiroshima Peace Prize to establish Peace Park, creating a home for Sadako and the Thousand Cranes, sculpted by Daryl Smith in 1990. As of 2023, the sculpture remains Seattle’s only monument to a female historical figure.
The statue is important to the local Quaker community as a symbol of peace.
“Quakers believe that peace on earth is possible and that it is our job as humans to do the work to make that happen,” said Colleen Kimseylove, officer coordinator at University Friends Meeting. “It’s just really sad— especially at a time where so many children are under threat around the world—to see the Quakers’ wish for peace be treated so callously.”
Kimseylove believes someone stole her. And it wouldn’t be the first time. They said there’s no chance that an organization removed her for routine maintenance because of metal shavings, suggesting someone intentionally damaged the statue. Kimseylove made a metal theft alert to hopefully intercept anyone who might try to sell Sasaki to a scrap metal dealer.
A spokesperson from Seattle Parks and Recreation said, “We do not currently have any information on this theft, but we are filing a police report.”
The Seattle Police Department did not immediately respond to my request for comment.
Please email office@ufmseattle.org if you have any information.
Do Stranger readers know any metal thieves?
“Though University Friends Meeting has not seen a history of vandalism waged against the statue,…”
Didn’t someone hack off one of the statue’s arms (the one holding the paper crane) back in 2003?
That park has been a massive encampment for the past month or so. Maybe start with the people sleeping there?
Some of whom, by the way, had a massive roll of metal cable recently. Which seemed a bit, uh, suspicious.
What the fuck is this wave of people sawing down these lovely, inoffensive statues around the country? Fuck you, chuckleheads.
Junkies need their fix – metal in public places is simply there for the taking. Coincidentally, saw this article today:
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/metal-thieves-are-stripping-americas-cities/
Don’t worry, once TS learns this was an act of survival thieving, it will quietly go away.
I love how the usual Slog suspects just RAN to their keyboards to turn this fucked up story into a way to score points against a blog that they can’t seem to live without
@7, flush out your headgear. Those encampments were cleared a couple of weeks ago.
Let’s not jump to conclusions and blame this on people experiencing chronic homelessness, struggling with drug addiction, and justice-involved individuals. Just kidding, thieving methheads are vermin.
Duterte for mayor!
Apologies to Lissa. That should have read “@3, flush out your headgear….”
@Lissa
tS’s croppa
Haters doth
Love themselfs
an ez Target and
tS’s Here for Them
too. they shan’t be
‘happy’ til tiz long
Gone & they’re
left with No-
thing
speaking
of War
Peace
and
indiscriminate
massacrings.*
of which We’ve
more than done
Our fair Share.
@9
Duterte
for Exterminator!
Stomp Out the Symptoms!
whilst Celebrating their Causes.
the “right”
Ain’t.