Just days after it was moved to Union Square, a statue of George Floyd was vandalized.
A cleanup effort, led by Confront Art, is underway after gray paint was splattered across the statue.
Police say the Parks Department discovered the paint shortly after 10 A.M. Sunday morning.
Floyd’s was one of three statues recently unveiled in Union Square. The other two include Breonna Taylor and John Lewis.
"This is not the first time we faced vandalism as a company,” said Lindsay Eshelman, the co-founder of Confront Art. “We know that this monument is controversial, we know that it pushes forward a movement — whether you agree with it or you don't. I'm not surprised, but I'm incredibly disheartened that this happened in broad daylight in NYC."
Floyd’s brother, Terrence, who came out to Union Square along with others to spread messages of unity and understanding, said the vandalism would not deter them.
“No matter what type of hate you have in your heart for whoever or whatever, it’s not gonna stop us because we have a mission and a movement and a message to get across and that message is gonna stay love, unity and healing,” said Terrence. “Even the person who did this is healing from something.”
Police do not have any information at this time as to who may be responsible for the vandalism.
The statue was first unveiled in Brooklyn in June. It was defaced there, with black paint and the logo of a white supremacist group.