'Destroy all monuments of genocide': Christopher Columbus statue in San Francisco vandalized

Photo: North Beach News The North Beach News posted an image on Facebook of the Christopher...

A statue of Christopher Columbus in San Francisco was vandalized the day before the federal holiday commemorating his arrival in the Americas in 1492.

On Sunday, city workers cleaned up the statue at the foot of Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill that had been covered in red paint. Graffiti on the base read “Destroy all monuments of genocide” and “Kill all colonizers.”

The North Beach News posted an image of the defaced monument; one commenter wrote, "Well done. Columbus deserves no better."

The incident is under investigation by the San Francisco Police Department.

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The New World explorer has become a polarizing figure, and Columbus statues are often a target by vandals across the United States. A statue in Rhode Island was splashed from head to toe with red paint Monday. A sign reading "Stop celebrating genocide" was leaned against the pedestal.

While Columbus Day is a national holiday observed on the second Monday of October, many places across the country have switched from honoring Columbus to paying tribute to the indigenous communities who faced violence and disease when explorers like Columbus arrived. More than 100 cities celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day.

San Francisco made the change in 2018.

Amy Graff is a digital editor for SFGATE. Email her at agraff@sfgate.com.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.