Richmond police quickly responded to the area Thursday morning, cordoning off a large area around the tree in crime scene tape and then closing the park.

A spokeswoman for the department, Chelsea Rarrick, said the department removed the display and is investigating. She said no arrests have been made. Police did not say what laws they believe were violated.

In a news release, INDECLINE said it chose Richmond for its latest action because it is the former capital of the Confederacy and Bryan Park because it’s the site where Gabriel Prosser plotted a famous slave rebellion in 1800.

A sign hung around the neck of one of the clowns read, “If attacked by a mob of clowns, go for the juggler — INDECLINE.”

This is not the first time the group has used imagery of hanging figures. In 2012, the group vandalized billboards in Las Vegas, writing “hope you’re happy Wall St.” and “dying for work” on them and dangling a mannequin from a noose off the side.

City Council President Chris Hilbert, whose district includes Bryan Park, said he supports the right to free speech but wishes “people would use it in a more prudent fashion.”