Ho Chi Minh City police charge man over graffiti damage at pedestrian bridge site

The suspect, identified as Nguyen Quynh Khoi, hailing from Dong Thap Province, brought spray paint into central Ho Chi Minh City at around 1:00 am on May 30, with the intent of finding surfaces to paint illegally.

At about 2:30 am the same day, he allegedly sprayed paint on advertising panels attached to fencing at the construction site of the pedestrian bridge opposite 8–15 Ton Duc Thang Street in Saigon Ward, before leaving the scene.

The incident was reported in early June by the project management unit.

Investigators determined that two advertising tarpaulin frames on the protective fencing were damaged, causing losses of more than VND30 million (US$1,140).

Police said the act constituted vandalism that caused financial loss and affected urban aesthetics and the city’s image.

They added that public infrastructure projects in central areas are state-managed assets that must be protected.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Security urged the public to comply with the law and warned that acts of vandalism will be investigated and strictly handled.

The pedestrian bridge over the Saigon River is a Ho Chi Minh City infrastructure project that began construction in March 2025 with total investment of nearly VND1 trillion ($38 million).

It is designed to be about 720 meters long, with a 187-meter main span in an arch-type cable-stayed structure and a steel girder deck with a variable width of six to 11 meters.