HARTFORD — People took to the streets this week as some cities across the United States their removed their Confederate monuments, while others left them in place.
The debate over Confederate monuments has intensified since last weekend’s violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, where white nationalist and other far-right groups protested the removal of a statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee.
Many public and private monuments have been vandalized following the clashes in Charlottesville. Here’s a state-by-state breakdown.
Arizona
Jefferson Davis memorial
A plaque commemorating Jefferson Davis at a state highway west of Phoenix was tarred and covered in feathers, CNN affiliate KPHO reported.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety is investigating the incident.
Confederate Troops memorial
A memorial at the State Capitol in Phoenix was spray-painted. The memorial has been cleaned, but the investigation is ongoing.
Authorities are looking for a man in his 40s who was wearing a black hat and was last seen riding a bicycle in the area, said Kameron Lee, a spokesman with the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Florida
Confederate Memorial Park
A private memorial park outside Tampa has been vandalized. Its columns were painted red, and some derogatory comments were written around the memorial, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.
The park, which is on private property, has been funded through private donations since 2009, CNN affiliate WFTS reported.
Illinois
Bust of Abraham Lincoln
A bust of Abraham Lincoln in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood was set on fire and defaced late Wednesday, neighborhood representative Raymond Lopez said.
The bust was erected by Phil Bloomquist in 1926, when mostly German, Irish and Italian families lived in the neighborhood.
The bust has been a target for vandals for years, said Chicago police spokesman Jose Estrada, who couldn’t confirm whether the damage was new.
Massachusetts
New England Holocaust Memorial
The New England Holocaust Memorial in Boston was vandalized on Monday. Witnesses told police they saw a man throwing what appeared to be a rock at the memorial, which is composed of six glass towers.
“Each of the panels is engraved with thousands of numbers representing the 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazi regime,” Suffolk County authorities said.
A 17-year-old from Malden, Massachusetts, was charged with disorderly conduct, malicious destruction of property over $250, and causing injury over $5,000 to a church, synagogue or memorial, Suffolk County officials said.
North Carolina
Confederate soldier statue
A statue of a Confederate soldier in downtown Winston-Salem was spray-painted, police said.
The base of the statue was defaced with graffiti, and black paint covered an inscription that reads, “Our Confederate Dead.” The monument has been cleaned, CNN affiliate W
GHP reported.
Confederate Soldiers Monument
The Confederate statue at the old County Courthouse in Durham was pulled down Monday during a protest to show solidarity with anti-racism activists. Eight people have been arrested. They face felony rioting charges and misdemeanor charges related to the damage, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office said.
More arrests are expected, Durham County Sheriff Mike Andrews said.
Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee statue
The face of a statue adorning the portal of a chapel at Duke
University in Durham has been damaged. It sits between statues of Thomas Jefferson and Sidney Lanier, a poet who served in the Confederate Army, CNN affiliate WTVD reported.
The chapel’s facade includes the Robert E. Lee statue and nine other historical figures.
Duke officials are reviewing surveillance video as part of their investigation.
“For an individual or group of individuals to take matters into their own hands and vandalize a house of worship undermines the right, protected in our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion, of every Duke student and employee to participate fully in university life,”
Duke President Vincent E. Price said in a statement.
Pennsylvania
Frank Rizzo statue
A statue of Frank Rizzo, a former Philadelphia mayor and police chief, that sits outside a city government building in Philadelphia was spray-painted with the words, “Black Power,” CNN affiliate WPVI reported.
The Philadelphia Police Department is investigating; no arrests have been made. The statue has been vandalized twice this week, WPVI reported.
Texas
Christopher Columbus statue
A statue of Christopher Columbus was vandalized in a Houston park late Thursday, the Houston Police Department said.
The statue, in Bell Park, was defaced with red paint, which dried by the time police arrived. It is unclear whether vandals thought the monument was a Confederate statue, said John Cannon, a police spokesman.
The Houston Police Department is investigating; there were no suspects as of Friday.
Virginia
Confederate soldiers statue
A statue honoring Confederate soldiers outside a courthouse in the town of Leesburg was spray-painted.
The statue was marked with graffiti, and obscene language was painted on its base, said Craig Troxell, a spokesman for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. The statue has been cleaned, and there was no permanent damage.
Video surveillance from a nearby street shows two possible suspects who are seen covering their heads as they walk near the courthouse at night. The sheriff’s office posted the video.
