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Thompson Elk returns to cheers in downtown Portland
Thompson Elk returns to cheers in downtown Portland
Thompson Elk returns to cheers in downtown Portland

Published on: 04/09/2026

This news was posted by Oregon Today News

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Description

After five years away, the Thompson Elk statue has returned to downtown Portland.

Ali Nabavizadeh was walking his dog Thursday when he noticed a crowd watching a crane reinstall the elk along Southwest Main Street.

The Thompson Elk hangs midair as its crane-lifted onto its perch while dozens of construction workers, city employees and press stand by in Portland, Ore., on April 9, 2026.Stephen Kafury, part of the “Concerned Citizens of Portland” who advocated for the Thompson Elk’s reinstallation, wears an antler headpiece as the newly reinstalled statue sits on its perch in Portland, Ore., on April 9, 2026.The Thompson Elk is transported down Main Street for its installation.Spectators, including historian William J. Hawkins, center, applaud after the Thompson Elk is fully lowered by a crane back onto its perchA construction crew works on the base of the Thompson Elk statue.The construction crew discusses their plan before crane-lifting the Thompson Elk to get it atop its perch.Artist Gabriel Liston sketches the different scenes he sees during the Thompson Elk's installation.

“I think it’s just great,” he said. “I think it’s a wonderful re-addition to the park.”

Nabavizadeh has only lived in downtown for a couple of years, so he wasn’t in Portland when the statue was taken down by the city during the 2020 racial justice protests.

But he’s happy it’s returning.

“I think it’s a sign that the city perseveres. It moves on and it goes on to bigger and better things,” Nabavizadeh said.

Maureen Fallt had just finished volunteering downtown when she saw the statue being reinstalled.

“So much has happened in these parks and on these streets,” she said. “I just hope this is healing.”

The Thompson Elk is the first statue to be replaced since the 2020 protests. As an animal, rather than a person, the monument doesn’t carry the political baggage that inevitably comes with statues of people pulled down by protestors.

Asked whether any other statues should be reinstalled, Fallt was cautious: “This seems enough for now. And regarding future statues and monuments, I think [a decision] should come from the people, the citizens.”

A rededication ceremony is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday at Chapman and Lownsdale Squares.

Replacing the elk cost about $2.2 million, largely because the granite fountain underneath was badly damaged. It will now remain filled with water to help minimize any future damage.

“I hope this is galvanizing for Portlanders and that they can rally around this beautiful, iconic statue,” Fallt said. “And maybe rekindle some pride.”

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/04/09/downtown-portland-thompson-elk-statue-returns/

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