Story at a glance
- Surveillance video shows a man splatter paint across the bust in New York City’s Union Square before riding off on a skateboard.
- NYPD’s hate-crime task force is investigating the incident.
- Floyd’s bust is part of an art exhibit called “See Injustice” and includes statues of John Lewis and Breonna Taylor.
A recently unveiled statue of George Floyd that stands in New York City’s Union Square was vandalized Sunday morning and police are searching for a suspect.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) on Monday released surveillance video that shows a man with a skateboard lingering behind the memorial that was revealed just last week.
The suspect then mixes paint behind the statue, gets on his skateboard and splatters the paint across the bronze bust as he rides away from the scene.
On 10/3/21, at approx. 10:15 AM, in Union Square Park, a person on a skateboard threw gray paint on the face and base of a statue of George Floyd. Info? DM @NYPDTips or ☎️ 1-800-577-TIPS. @NYPDShea @NYPDDetectives @NYPDPBMS @NYPD13Pct @NYCParks @mayorsCAU pic.twitter.com/PxNQs1u6mw
— NYPD Hate Crimes (@NYPDHateCrimes) October 4, 2021
Floyd’s bust is part of an art exhibit called “See Injustice” and includes statues of John Lewis and Breonna Taylor. The exhibit was created by art group Confront Art.
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“The defacing of FLOYD today didn’t come as a complete surprise, though it is quite upsetting to us all. The fact that there is a diversity of opinion on George Floyd is probably the main reason for this exhibit,” Chris Carnabuci, the exhibit’s artist, said in a statement.
“Vandalism of any sort is not an action that is productive or meaningful. At the end of the day, it’s high risk and very low reward. Actions like this remind us that we have a long way to go, and we will never stop fighting,” Carnabuci said.
Cleanup efforts are underway and NYPD’s hate-crime task force is investigating the incident.
The incident Sunday isn’t the first time a memorial to Floyd has been vandalized. Statues of Floyd in Brooklyn and Newark, N.J., were defaced with graffiti over the summer.
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