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Mascot Wars: UCLA Bruin Statue Gets USC Trojan Paint Job
Mascot wars are on in full force. "UCLA spokesman Phil Hampton says the statue in Bruin Square was splashed with red and gold paint sometime between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning," according to the Star-News. The painters had to "cut through a protective tarp to vandalize the statue," which sits in the middle of UCLA's Westwood campus. Campus police are investigating the case, and authorities "say the prank is being treated as a felony vandalism investigation," reports LA Now. Across town USC students are standing guard of their Tommy Trojan statue, which is also wrapped up for protection. The rival schools face off on the football field on Saturday.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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