Written By Emma Adkins
Special Report
Early on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, a 26-year-old man allegedly vandalized The King Center in Atlanta, GA, which honors civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Officers of the Atlanta Police Department responded to a call at 4:30 a.m. of reports of unusual activity at the memorial. Once on the scene, they claim they found the suspect Brent Jones urinating in the reflection pool that surrounds both King’s and his wife Coretta Scott King’s crypts and stomping on the memorials’ “Eternal Flame”. The authorities claim there was significant damage – estimated to cost $3,000.
Jones was charged with criminal damage to property in the second degree, criminal trespass, public indecency and obstruction of law enforcement.
Members of the Atlanta community expressed shock and disappointment. This vandalism comes at a time when civil rights memorials across the U.S. are under increased attention, and the act is not just property damage but as a message to the legacy of King’s work for the civil rights movement. The Eternal Flame is a fixture of the civil rights movement and its symbol of equality and perseverance.
The King Center issued a statement saying, “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.”
This is not the first incident involving a historical site connected to King. In 2023, 26-year-old Laneisha Shantrice Henderson poured gasoline on the front porch of King’s childhood home in an attempt to light it on fire. Henderson was intercepted by witnesses and arrested.
Crowds had already begun gathering again around the memorial the next day, leaving flowers and messages of peace. The Eternal Flame, repaired and relit, is already flickering again and will for the rest of the foreseeable future.