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Monolith appears near hiking trail in Atascadero, quickly disappears

December 3, 2020

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

A shiny, metallic monolith appeared on Pine Mountain in Atascadero Wednesday, the third of its kind to pop up worldwide in recent weeks. Shortly after attracting international attention, the monolith disappeared, apparently after being taken down by vandals.

In recent weeks, similar monoliths appeared in a remote desert location in San Juan County, Utah and on a hill overlooking Piatra Neamt, Romania. Both the monoliths in Utah and Romania have since been covertly removed.

On Wednesday morning, hikers discovered the monolith on Pine Mountain. More hikers then trekked up to also get a look at the monument. By Thursday morning, the monolith was gone.

Video livestreamed on the site DLive purportedly shows a group of vandals taking down the monolith overnight. In the livestream, a group of men drive to the Central Coast from Southern California with the intention of capturing the monolith.

“We are currently driving up north to capture the alien/globo-homo monolith that has mysteriously, yet unsurprisingly appeared up in California,” a man says at the beginning of the livestream.

Upon reaching the shiny monument, one man says, “Christ is king of this country.” He then says, “We don’t want illegal aliens from Mexico or outer space, so let’s tear this bitch down.”

The group is seen tearing down the monolith while chanting, “Christ is king.” One man then says, “America first.” The group then replaced the monolith with a plywood cross.

The city is asking that anyone with information about the monolith or the people that took it to call Atascadero Police Department at (805) 461-5051.

“We are upset that these young men felt the need to drive 5 hours to come into our community and vandalize the Monolith,” said Mayor Heather Moreno. “The Monolith was something unique and fun in an otherwise stressful time.”


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This ticks me off. I had planned to take my children over for a photo shoot in front of the monolith, an unusual chance for a safe trip out..


5

If they catch the vandals, should they be crucified? Just saying…


4

The TRUTH is the REAL Monolith, The one Arthur C. Clark intended…the one he actually commissioned to be made by the hands of Ed Nesteruk….the one He intended to be placed in the United Nations before his death…is in Morro Bay!


0

Wait! This is art???


-5

Are you a vandal for cleaning up unwanted trash, either this or on a cleanup day? This was not a legal art installation approved by the property owner. One could argue that putting it up without the property owner’s permission, as well as taking it down without the property owner’s permission, permit requirements aside, are two separate illegal acts. I’d say at this time it’s a wash as long as it goes no further.


-21

They obviously had no intent to “clean up trash” because they left both the monolith and a wooden cross on the property as well as debris and steel rebar dangerously exposed where someone could get injured. They had no idea if it was an installation authorized by the city or not and they didn’t care. These sociopaths simply wanted to destroy stuff and wreck havoc on someone else’s city. SoCal trash needs to stay in SoCal.


24

That would be “Christian sociopaths”. But what’s the difference between putting it up illegally and taking it down illegally? The area is open space for recreation, primarily biking and hiking.


1

Finally, actual hidden camera video is showing up of suitcases full of ballots hidden under an after counting hours table, and we’re distracted by a prank installation and a prankish removal?


4

Yup, “pay no attention to that man behind the curtain”


“Nothing to see here folks…”


14

LOL I’d love to see that video. Does it show the actual ballots inside these “suitcases”? Were all these ballots filled out and for who? Is the theory they are authentic ballots or forgeries? Will this discovery affect McConnell or Graham’s senate win? Or was it just another camera bag that someone thought was a “ballot suitcase”? Please post a link so we can all see it.


4

By other photos accounts, the ones who erected this put much effort into its integration there holistically. It’s a nature preserve, a very old cemetary too, and a public land. The installation was and is vandalism, but, art, Even Moreno was bummed, you know that monolith was a special across the isle “art installation which is vandalism” we all related to emotionally, wishing or feeling a, unity. Wow.


-20

Hal we have a malfunction…. Don’t do that Dave. Daaaave?


14

Wow, what a bunch of pathetic morons! It’s too bad that the monolith didn’t fall on them. They are precisely what is wrong with society and why we can’t have nice things. Hopefully they go to jail for a long time!


13

Jail for what? Vandalizing a monolith illegally installed on public land? Good luck with that case.


-15

Trespassing for a start. That trail was closed during the hours they were up there. Or how about littering? They left a wooden cross up there. Or how about plain malicious mischief? I’m sure they can find any number of charges to punish those juveniles cretins for their antisocial behavior. Do you really think it’s fine behavior to drive 5 hours to someone else’s city so you can video yourself spewing racist nonsense while destroying something that brought others joy?


15