The Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson statues located in downtown Charlottesville were discovered with chipping to the features of the pedestals’ allegorical figures Wednesday morning — similar to previous vandalism that occurred earlier this month.
This is the third time since September that vandals have defaced the Civil War monuments. “1619” was spray painted across the Lee statue Sept. 17 — referring to the year enslaved African people were first brought to North America — shortly after State Judge Richard Moore ruled that the statues would remain standing.
In February 2017, Charlottesville City Council voted to remove the statue due to its racist implications, but it could not be taken down immediately due to legal conflict. The decision became a central factor in the violent white supremacist Unite the Right rallies of Aug. 11 and 12 that year, which caused the death of Heather Heyer, a peaceful counter-protestor and Charlottesville resident.
In the wake of the rallies, City Council unanimously decided to shroud the statue in a black tarp, but Moore ordered for the tarp to be removed February 2018.
Charlottesville Police Department said in a press release that there is no suspect description and that the case has been assigned to detectives for further investigation.
This story has been updated.
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