WORCESTER – In the early morning hours of Tuesday, June 23, two men vandalized the statue of Christopher Columbus outside Union Station. The men used red paint and spray paint. The word “genocide” was spray painted across the front of the statue.
During the investigation, officers recovered a bucket of paint, a bag and spray paint from the area.
A nearby surveillance camera captured the incident.
SEE BELOW: The Christopher Columbus Statue at Union Station is vandalized
City Manager Ed Augustus issued the following statement:
“This is a moment of tremendous social change. It is a time when honest conversations about our history, and about centuries of racial injustices, are absolutely critical. Defacing or destroying public monuments and statues is not the way to have those conversations. Vandalism is never the right solution. There is a public process through which all voices can be heard, and action can be taken. We cannot ignore the significance of what is happening in our country, and the constitutional right of all people to express themselves, but any expression carried out in an act of vandalism will not be tolerated. Instead, let us engage in conversation about how best to address the future of some of the City’s historical monuments and statues.”
Worcester Police are asking anyone with information about this incident they can send an anonymous text to 274637 TIPWPD + your message or send an anonymous web based message at worcesterma.gov/police. Calls can also be made to the Worcester Police Operations Division at (508) 799-8669.
