RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — “Just don’t understand it, it seems pretty senseless to me. They could have just protested. No one would have had a problem with anyone protesting,” said Richmond resident Mike Rubino.
The graffiti was discovered around 7 a.m. Friday morning. Some letters spray painted on one side, profanity on another. It comes after the Jefferson Davis monument was spray painted more than a week ago. The vandalism follows a petition to have the statues removed, calling them symbols of racism.
“There’s an interesting discussion to be had around these monuments and whether they belong out in public spaces but this is taking matters into an individual’s own hands,” said Richmond resident Allan Rosenbaum.
City workers did what they could to try and remove the spray paint, but officials tell us it will take some time. A special treatment used by a contractor is what helped remove graffiti from the Jefferson Davis statue but that contractor is out of town along with many other people.
“Well, I don’t condone the vandalism but I don’t particularly like the statues,” said Richmond resident Nicole Brown.
Brown says she thinks people should be concentrating on the Charleston church victims and their families, not symbols.
“We need to think about the compassion for the people and the compassion for one another,” said Brown.
Last week we spoke with the man behind the petition who didn’t want to show his face on camera, but had this to say about vandalism.
“Those statues are up there and they have a right to be up there. I believe that the statues should be removed but they should be removed in the right way.”
Meanwhile Richmond Police are continuing to investigate the vandalism at the Jefferson Davis monument. If you have any information you’re asked to give them a call at 780-1000.
