Two suspects allegedly defaced a historic Christopher Columbus statue in New York City’s Central Park on February 26, and police are asking the public for help in identifying them, Fox News reported Tuesday.
The incident happened at around 10:00 p.m. and the unknown individuals, wanted for criminal mischief, are accused of spray painting the words “Murderer” and “Give Us Our Land Back” on the statue, according to police.
The clip shows a person in a black jacket and another in an orange jacket approach the statue that is surrounded by fencing. The individual wearing black then climbs onto the back of the monument, while the other person appeared to spray paint the front:
WANTED CRIMINAL MISCHIEF On 2/26/23 @ 10:14 PM, @NYPDCentralPark the unk individuals sprayed in red paint the words "Murderer" & "Give Us Our Land Back" on the Christopher Columbus statue located inside Central Park. Any info call us at 800-577-TIPS pic.twitter.com/V4MiHFUhwz
— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) March 7, 2023
Social media users voiced their opinions on the video footage, one person writing, “Privileged white liberals. Fifty bucks they can’t even spell indigenous,” while another replied, “Savages!”
Police confirmed to Fox News they were investigating the incident but did not provide additional information.
The NYC Parks website, on the Central Park page, details the history of the statue:
For the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ voyage in 1492, the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society commissioned Spanish sculptor Jeronimo Sunol (1839–1902) to fashion this bronze portrait sculpture. The statue employs religious and imperialist imagery as the explorer holds in his right hand the Spanish flag with a cross on top. At his side, a globe is mounted to a cable-entwined capstan. The statue bears similarities to Sunol’s Columbus monument installed in 1885 at the Plaza de Colon in Madrid.
The latest incident was not the first time the statue has been targeted, according to Breitbart News. In 2017, vandals defaced the Columbus statue, spray painting the words, “Hate will not be tolerated” alongside “Something’s coming.” In addition, the Italian explorer’s hands were covered in red paint.
In December, boxes hiding a Columbus statue in Philadelphia were taken down, thanks to a state judge’s order, Breitbart News reported.
Full Christopher Columbus statue along S. Broad Street is now revealed. Crews just finished removing the plywood box— the process took about 2 hours. @6abc pic.twitter.com/ifS3bnjKOq
— Sharifa Jackson 6abc (@SharifaJackson) December 12, 2022
George Bochetto, an attorney representing a group that supports the statue, was pleased with the removal, and said “[W]e are not a society ruled by cancel culture mobs.”
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