PROVIDENCE, RI. (THECOUNT) — A statue of Christopher Columbus in Providence, Rhode Island, was vandalized on the very holiday meant to honor the explorer.
The statue, located in in Elmwood, was found covered in red paint and graffiti on Monday, Columbus Day.
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A sign stating “Stop Celebrating Genocide” was chained around the pedestal and the word “Genocide” was painted on the base.
The statue, dedicated in 1893, was the target of vandals in 2010 and 2017.
Columbus is a polarizing figure.
Since 1992, Native American advocates have pressed states to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day over concerns that Columbus helped launched centuries of genocide against indigenous populations in the Americas, reports TurnTo10.
But the change to Indigenous People’s Day prompted some backlash in conservative circles and among Italian Americans.
Geo quick facts: Elmwood is a neighborhood in the South Side of Providence, Rhode Island. The triangular region is demarcated by Broad Street, Elmwood Avenue, and Interstate 95. Providence is the capital city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It’s home to Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design, whose RISD Museum displays American art and silver. Nearby, 18th- and 19th-century homes line the streets of College Hill. Waterplace Park is the backdrop for the WaterFire art installation, which lights up the surrounding tidal basin most nights in the summer and for special events – wikipedia.