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Mother: Son's Memory Not Honored By Memorial March Vandalism

PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) -- The mother of a man whose passing was supposed to be marked by a memorial march in Pittsburgh said her son was done no honor by the masked group who rampaged through an upscale neighborhood breaking windows.

About 30 people wearing black clothing and carrying candles were in the business district of the trendy Shadyside area Friday night to mark the death of Michael Vesch earlier this month, police said. After the group posted fliers saying "Rest in Peace Mike V. Anarchy forever," officials said at least some members donned masks, pulled out hammers and began smashing the windows of businesses and vehicles.

PHOTOS: More of the destruction to Shadyside's business district

Police tell our news partners at the Post-Gazette that they feel confident they can arrest the around 30 people believed to be involved.

"We were busy last night, when they were – the store was full of people. Customers were shocked, luckily nobody got injured, I mean, it's surprising," said Ravi Reddy, owner of Jitters Café.

"Everybody's really disappointed that something like this would happen and everyone feels badly for those businesses who were affected," John Henne, owner of Henne Jewelers. "I've walked up and down the street to see it and it's awful."

The vandals caused thousands of dollars in damage to at least seven businesses – stores owned by corporations like Apple, Sephora and GNC.

Vesch's mother, Aileen Bunce, told reporters that their actions were "disgraceful."

"How dare you use my son to destroy people's business. How dare you use that as an excuse," she said. "As far as this craziness in Shadyside was not Michael. He was a peace-loving person. What they did was on their own and not Michael."

Sonya Toler of the city's Public Safety department said they did thousands of dollars of damage. No arrests were immediately announced, but police said they were reviewing surveillance video and were confident that they would be able to identify and arrest those responsible.

Sue Kerr, founder and editor of the Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents blog, said she had worked with Vesch on anti-poverty and other social justice projects.

"He was a really nice guy, very concerned about people who are oppressed. He identified himself as an anarchist," she said. "I didn't know him well enough to know what he would think about it. I don't know if this was done in Mike's name."

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(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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