Providence's Christopher Columbus Statue Again Vandalized

PROVIDENCE, RI — Providence's Christopher Columbus statue was once again splashed with red paint on Monday morning. This is the second time the monument has been vandalized in the past few months.

Providence police confirmed that the incident was under investigation, but did not provide any further information at this time.

While the exact time the vandalism occurred isn't known at this time, city officials confirmed it happened sometime overnight.

Just before 8:30 a.m., Rhode Island Podcaster Bill Bartholomew tweeted a photo of the vandalized statue, later adding that city workers cleaned it off about 20 minutes later.

Mayor Jorge Elorza's Press Secretary, Patricia Socarras, said city officials have been discussing the issue over the past weeks.

"The mayor has spoken at length about this in recent weeks. We are the Creative Capital and we know our public art of all kinds, holds significance for our community," Socarras said. "We've been having these conversations with our colleagues and stakeholders around significant memorials, historical markers and monuments in public spaces and have proposed an ordinance forming a special committee to review commemorative works, like the Columbus Statue. Through this committee, we want to continue to engage community members in every step of the process and ensure that the heritage of each of our vibrant neighborhoods is honored."

Cranston Mayor Alan Fung also weighed in, tweeting: "I know I'm going to have to arm wrestle [Johnston] Mayor Polisena for it, but Cranston has a safe spot for the statue in Knightsville."

This is the second time the statue has been splashed with red paint in recent months. On Columbus Day, a sign reading "stop celebrating genocide" was also chained around its base. At that time, Providence City Councilor Kathy Kerwin told the Associated Press that she supported the vandalism, saying: "I stand with them."