Christopher Columbus Statue In North End Vandalized With Black Lives Matter Graffiti

The Christopher Columbus Statue North End. Photo via NorthEndWaterfront.com

The statue of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus was vandalized sometime on Monday night with red paint and black spray paint graffiti.

The words “Black Lives Matter” were spray painted on the backside of the statue while red paint was dumped on its head.

The paint was removed from the statue with pressure washers operated by a Department of Public Works crew on Tuesday.

Black Lives Matter Boston founder and lead organizer Daunasia Yancey, 23, said her group was not involved in the vandalism but said they did support it.

“We support their actions. There are a lot of symbols of white supremacist violence and institutions in this city, state and country, and I think this is one type of action that calls attention to this and this is an action against it,” said Yancey to Boston.

Yancey pointed to Columbus’s legacy as a rapist, murderer and oppressor of indigenous people, saying he is not worthy of being honored with a statue.

This is not the first time the statue has been vandalized. In 2006 its head was removed and went missing for six days according to NorthEndWaterfront.com. In December one of the pillars that make up the area around the statue was knocked down in apparent act of vandalism.

Boston Parks Commissioner Chris Cook told WFTX “We encourage discourse but this is not the way to do it, you don’t want to destroy public property.”

The park opened in 1976 and the statue was erected in 1979

The incident is being investigated by Boston Police.

The front of the Christopher Columbus statue. Photo via NorthEndWaterfront.com