COLUMBUS, OH (WBNS/CNN) - An investigation is underway in Ohio after a Confederate statue was vandalized in a Columbus cemetery. It comes amid rising tensions regarding Confederate monuments after a woman was killed while protesting bigotry in Charlottesville. VA, this month.
Many people see the monuments as symbols of racism while others claim they are important parts of history and heritage. Columbus' mayor called the vandalism "unacceptable."
The Confederate cemetery is a resting place for more than 2,000 soldiers. It is Camp Chase in west Columbus. It is now the site of a crime scene.
"And I can't believe it really happened,” veteran Nicholas Gonzales said. Overnight, somebody entered the cemetery and toppled over a statue of a Confederate soldier that sat high above the grave sites.
As Columbus police try to determine who did it, they're also trying to figure out whether the statue was targeted like other Confederate symbols nationwide that have been removed - some peacefully and some not.
Veterans like Gonzales just believes the act was wrong. "I'm upset because these are warriors even though many people believe they were on the wrong side,” he said.
And so do others who live in the neighborhood. They're fearful that this may be more than vandalism. The person who did it also took the head, possibly making a statement.
"This is an historical site right here. I mean it's not bothering anybody. I mean, people that just, what is it like - hate - that's a hate crime right there,” a man said.
Until police can figure out who did this, residents who live in the area can only hope that this vandalism isn't out of hate. Columbus' mayor says he is in favor of removing Confederate monuments from public spaces, but that efforts to improve equality need to be "productive, not destructive."
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