BALTIMORE (AP) — A statue and memorial to George Washington in Baltimore has been vandalized with red paint.
The memorial in Druid Hill Park in northwest Baltimore also had the words “Destroy Racists” and the initials for the Black Lives Matter movement written on the base.
Police said Sunday morning that they had not received any complaints about the vandalism.
In a statement on Monday, Baltimore City Recreation and Parks said:
“BCRP is aware of and addressing the defacement of the historical monuments within several of our parks. While we take our role in maintaining the parks and park assets seriously, we are not solely responsible for the placement or removal of park monuments. We encourage residents who find the monuments non-reflective of their community’s beliefs and values to work together with our agency, the Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP), the Office of the Mayor and Baltimore City Council on a resolution.”
As statues and memorials to the Confederacy have been targeted across the South, protesters have also at times targeted Founding Fathers who were slaveholders, including Washington.
Baltimore removed several statues and memorials linked to the Confederacy back in 2017.
