Memorial to first US president George Washington vandalised

The vandalised statue of George Washington, who is said to have had nearly 150 slaves during his presidency, in Baltimore. PIC/Twitter

A statue and memorial to George Washington in Baltimore has been vandalised with red paint. Washington, the country's first president, is said to have had nearly 150 slaves and perpetuated Black bondage during his presidency, according to reports.

The Baltimore Sun reports that the memorial in Druid Hill Park also had the words 'Destroy Racists' and the initials for the Black Lives Matter movement written on the base. Police said on Sunday they had not received any complaints about the vandalism.

As statues and memorials to the Confederacy have been targeted across the South, protesters have also at times targeted Founding Fathers who were slaveholders, including Washington. Baltimore removed several statues and memorials linked to the Confederacy back in 2017.

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