(CNN) A Confederate statue in Nashville's Centennial Park was vandalized late Sunday night with the words "They were racists" written on it in red paint.

The statue, built almost 50 years after the Civil War ended, is meant to be a memorial to Tennessee soldiers who fought in the war. Paint was poured over the names of more than 500 soldiers inscribed on a plaque on the monument, according to CNN affiliate WZTV

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Nashville's Metro Police Department said officers would be reviewing security footage, the affiliate said.

This isn't the first time this kind of vandalism has occurred.