MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Vandals targeted a statue of Christopher Columbus at a local park.
The statue is in Marquette Park at Park Avenue and Mount Moriah, the site of the annual Italian Festival.
“It had feathers all over it. White. It was like, tarred and feathered,” said Kerry Krag, who spotted the vandalism first thing Tuesday morning on his way to church and called police. “It’s just a beautiful thing and it’s sad to see it defaced like that.”
Workers said the vandals actually used Flex Seal and feathers, making it difficult to remove.
This is the second time in 10 days that it has been targeted. Last time, city crews were cleaning red paint off the statue and surrounding area.
The statue was moved for restoration back in 2013. Unico Memphis, a service organization, helped pay to move the statue from downtown to the park several years ago.
They said the display is a 3-D history and geography lesson. It’s got a layout of all the seas and a map of Italy.
It means a lot to the Italian community.
“I think they need to be educated on what they are trying to deface,” Krag said.
Others in the park said they understand the Black Lives Matter movement and why groups want to remove certain statues, but said this isn’t the way to do it.
Police have put in a camera nearby to help catch the vandals.
