Gary, Indiana is on clean-up duty and launching an investigation after its city hall and a statue commemorating its ex-mayor were vandalized on Wednesday night.
Mayor Eddie Melton expressed strong disapproval of the vandalism which could face City Halls front doors, as well as a statue on its property, labeling the action a disgrace.
He also made sure to defend the former mayor Richard G. Hatcher, whose bronze lifesize memorial statue was defaced with white spray paint.
"It's a disgrace that anyone would come to disrespect City Hall, a place where we conduct business and serve the people of Gary, every day," Melton said in a statement on Facebook. "It’s even more shameful that the vandals dishonored Mayor Richard G. Hatcher, a national historical figure who fought for the people of Gary and the marginalized and oppressed around the world."
Hatcher, Gary's first African American mayor, served for 20 years, from 1960 to 1988.
While the specifics of what the graffiti said, if anything at all, was not disclosed, the statue was covered pending cleanup.
Melton says he affirmed support for free speech, but condemned property destruction as a form of protest.
"As mayor, I’ve been fighting every day to bring new investments and opportunities for Gary to tell its true story," he said. "I will not allow this dark moment to stop our momentum or distract us from the greatness that we are reigniting in our city."
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