George Floyd Statue Vandalized 4 Days After Being Installed in NYC Union Square Park

A statue of George Floyd that was unveiled in New York City's Union Square Park just four days ago was vandalized on Sunday.

The incident happened around 10 a.m. in Union Square Park. Police say a male suspect threw paint at the George Floyd statue and then fled on a skateboard, reported WABC-TV.

"Preliminary investigation determined that an unidentified individual threw gray paint on the face and base of the statue. There are no arrests and the investigation is ongoing," police told Insider in a statement.

WNBC reported that the statue was unveiled on Thursday as part of the "SEEINJUSTICE" exhibition. It is one of three monuments by artist Chris Carnabuci.

The exhibition also includes statues of Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed by Louisville police in March 2020, and Georgia Rep. John Lewis, the prominent civil rights leader who died last year.

The other two statues remained untouched.

George Floyd Statue Defaced for Second Time

This is the second time the Floyd statue has been vandalized. On June 24, it was vandalized in Brooklyn with black paint and marked with the logo of a white supremacist group.

"I heard the news about the vandalism. I was so proud that I got word that Flatbush held it down. They really supported us, looked out for the statue, looked out for the spirit of my brother," Floyd's brother Terrence said at time. "You try to stop us, but you can't stop us. And we're still going to continue, with love."

Confront Art, the group behind the statue, said people spent hours cleaning the paint off by hand and with toothbrushes before it was moved to Union Square. Carnabuci told The New York Times last week that he repainted all three statues before they went up in Union Square so they would be easier to clean if they were vandalized.

Social Media Reactions

One user wrote, "They seriously don't have cams watching these things?" Another wrote, "How could they let this happen to the effigy of such a wise and noble man? The police should be vigilantly guarding this monument 24/7. Detectives must be put on the case until the culprits are apprehended and punished."

One comment read, "Racists will always have to run and hide. Remember that. #BlackLivesMatter." Another comment read, "Guys, maybe we should stop having statues of anyone. Our idolization has gotten out of control."

One user shared, "Yeah let's honor criminals while tearing down statues of presidents and generals." Another said, "Probably done by his people to start sh*t."

Former Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. tweeted, "So what? That criminal shouldn't have a statue anyway. Paint splattered? Liberals call that art. Leftist have been tearing down historical statues with impunity. Do onto them as they do onto us. Watch the FBI insert themselves into this nonsense. Dopes."