New York City Christopher Columbus statue vandalized with red paint, tagged 'murderer' in Central Park

A statue of Christopher Columbus has been vandalized successful New York City.

A photograph taken Monday greeting showed nan statue of Columbus successful Central Park sprayed pinch reddish paint. The messages "murderer" and "land back" were tagged connected its pedestal. 

Reached by Fox News Digital Monday morning, Central Park constabulary confirmed nan incident is nether investigation but said nary further accusation is disposable astatine this time. 

The statue, located connected nan southbound extremity of nan Central Park Mall, was surrounded by metallic barricades Monday. It is not clear if immoderate suspects were identified aliases if immoderate arrests were made. 

PHILADELPHIA COLUMBUS STATUE UNCOVERED FOR FIRST TIME IN TWO YEARS 

A statue of Christopher Columbus successful Central Park, New York is seen aft having been defaced, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.  (Jennifer Mitchell for Fox News Digital)

According to nan NYC Parks website, nan bronze and Rockport polished granite statue was dedicated connected May 12, 1892. 

The New Yorkers of nan New York Genealogical Society commissioned Spanish sculptor Jeronimo Sunol. 

The statue was donated successful commemoration of nan 400th day of Columbus' voyage and nan find of nan caller world. 

A statue of Christopher Columbus successful Central Park was spray-painted pinch nan words, "Murderer" and "Land Back."  (Jennifer Mitchell for Fox News Digital)

In nan aftermath of George Floyd's death, statues of Columbus, arsenic good arsenic Confederate leaders and different monuments, person been torn down aliases vandalized by societal justness protesters. Some section governments person removed statues to debar further controversy, arsenic activists pushed for Columbus Day, observed successful October, to beryllium converted to Indigenous People's Day. 

They reason Columbus' presence successful nan Americas led to wide genocide.

The guidelines of a statue of Christopher Columbus successful Central Park was covered successful red. (Jennifer Mitchell for Fox News Digital)

Columbus and Confederate statues alike were likewise vandalized successful nan aftermath of nan deadly Charlottesville, Virginia, rally successful 2017, but 2020's unrest came astatine a larger nationalist scale.  

In April 1492, King Ferdinand V and Queen Isabella of Spain agreed to sponsor Columbus’s projected voyage. On Aug. 3, 1492, 3 humble ships, nan Nina, nan Pinta, and nan Santa Maria, group sail. They sighted onshore connected Oct. 12, 1492, landing connected Guanahani, an land successful nan Bahamas. Columbus claimed nan onshore for nan King of Spain, renaming it San Salvador. 

A statue of Christopher Columbus was vandalized successful Central Park.  (Jennifer Mitchell for Fox News Digital)

Believing he had reached nan West Indies, Columbus called nan natives "los Indios," aliases Indians. The members of nan expedition returned to Spain triumphantly connected March 15, 1493. After receiving nan title of nobility, Columbus launched a larger expedition. On Nov. 3, 1493, a fleet of 17 ships anchored adjacent present-day Puerto Rico. 

His 3rd and 4th voyages group sail successful 1498 and 1502, according to nan NYC Parks website's explanation of nan Central Park statue. 

Central Park constabulary are investigating aft a statue of Christopher Columbus was defaced.  (Jennifer Mitchell for Fox News Digital)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"Later, erstwhile Americans looked for founder-heroes successful nan early years of nan republic, authors like Washington Irving ‘The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus’ (1828) documented Columbus’s story," nan metropolis authorities website says. "Focusing mostly connected his presence successful nan Americas arsenic opposed to nan colonialism of nan area, Irving and others enshrined Columbus arsenic a hero. His celebrated estimation ever aft became that of nan bold, courageous adventurer who enabled American civilization, and he is memorialized present and elsewhere arsenic such."