Vandals attacked buildings on Adidas‘ North American campus over the weekend.
Windows and doors were smashed on the east side of the campus, the athletic giant confirmed. Nine suspects wearing ski masks and goggles were responsible for the damage, which occurred at around 1:48 am on Sunday, Nov. 20 around North Greeley Avenue, the Portland Police Bureau told FN. Blue paint was also found splattered on campus, police said.
An Adidas spokesperson said the company called Portland police to investigate the situation and confirmed that no one was injured. An estimate of damages is not yet known.
Abolition Media, which describes itself as a news source for “revolutionary movements,” claimed responsibility for the vandalism in a post on its website, saying it was in “retaliation” for 2022 Qatar World Cup.
“The history of the World Cup is one of death and displacement,” the post read. “Every stadium stands upon the dead bodies of workers who built it.”
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FN could not confirm if Abolition Media was responsible for the vandalism.
Adidas is the official supplier of the FIFA World Cup and also sponsors several clubs.
Adidas’ spokesperson said the company “condemns this violence” and was “not involved in the decision to award the World Cup to Qatar.”
The decision to host the World Cup in Qatar has been controversial, given allegations of human rights abuses and migrant worker deaths in the country.
“We have been engaged with FIFA and other critical stakeholders, including the Qatari government and international human rights and labor advocacy groups, to improve the human rights situation for migrant workers,” Adidas’ spokesperson said. “Additionally, we have strongly advocated for unrestricted access for all visitors regardless of nationality, religion, sexual orientation or ethnic background.”
Adidas has been supplying goods for the World Cup since the 1970s, most notably in the form of the game-day balls. This is the 14th year in a row that Adidas has made the World Cup match ball. For the 2022 tournament in Qatar, adidas designed the “Al Rihla” ball (which means “the journey” in Arabic).
Adidas dropped its FIFA World Cup 2022 gear in September, which included jerseys and soccer balls.
