Confederate Statue Vandalized Outside Loudoun County Courthouse

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — The large statue of a Confederate soldier outside the old Loudoun County Courthouse in Leesburg was vandalized Thursday sometime after midnight, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. Police say it was spray painted with graffiti, some of it obscene.

Officials say the graffiti is being removed and that there was no permanent damage to the statue. The vandalism comes after last weekend's white supremacist rally in Charlottesville to protest the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue. Marchers, many shouting racist slogans and carrying tiki torches, ultimately clashed with counter-protesters. Heather Heyer, 32, was killed after a man drove his car through a crowd. Two policemen monitoring the situation from the air died when their helicopter crashed.

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Anyone with information is urged to call Loudoun County Police at 703-777-0475.

Photo: File