NEW YORK (AP) — A bust of Christopher Columbus has been knocked off its pedestal in a New York park, but it’s unclear whether the vandalism is related to the recent controversy over the explorer.
The Journal News says the damage was reported Tuesday at Columbus Memorial Park in Yonkers, just north of New York City.
The national soul-searching over whether to take down Confederate monuments has extended to other historical figures.
Activists in New York and elsewhere have targeted Columbus statues. The explorer is seen as a hero to many for “discovering” the New World, but he’s considered a murderous colonizer to Native Americans and others.
Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino says “the statue craziness” is “ridiculous and must stop.”
Police say it’s also possible that “youthful vandalism” caused the damage.
