NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – The statue of Theodore Roosevelt outside the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan was vandalized overnight, police said Wednesday.
The controversial statue at the museum's Central Park entrance was sprayed with red paint around midnight, according to police.
Video shows blood-red paint dripping down the base of the statue.
Police said they’re searching for two suspects, both women, in the vandalism.
It’s not the first time the statue has been vandalized. Vandals also splashed red paint on it back in 2017.
The statue—which depicts the former president on horseback with a Native American man and an African man flanking the horse—has been criticized for years as symbolizing colonial subjugation and racial discrimination.
Back in June, the New York City Public Design Commission voted unanimously to relocate the statue, which has stood at the museum’s Central Park West entrance since 1940.
At the time of the decision, museum officials said the statue’s “removal is expected in the coming months.” It will reportedly be relocated to a cultural institution dedicated to Roosevelt’s life and legacy.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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