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George Floyd Statues Vandalized, NYPD Investigating Possible Hate Crime

(Screenshot/Twitter/@mymixtapez)

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A statue of George Floyd in New York City, unveiled on Juneteenth, was defaced Thursday. The incident follows a Wednesday vandalizing of Floyd’s statue in Newark, New Jersey.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) has launched an investigation into vandalism, describing it as a hate crime, according to CNN.

Four unidentified males reportedly covered the 6-foot sculpture of Floyd’s head with black paint early Thursday, just five days after its unveiling, according to the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force.

“PATRIOTFRONT .US” — the mark of a “white nationalist hate group” Patriot Front — was also stenciled on the statue’s pedestal.

“To the group of neo-Nazis who did this, I want to be absolutely clear: get the hell out of our state,” Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday, announcing an investigation into the defacing, CNN reported. (RELATED: Derek Chauvin Sentenced To 22 And A Half Years In Death Of George Floyd)

One day prior to the defacing in New York City, Floyd’s 700-pound statue in Newark had also been vandalized. The bronze sculpture’s face was covered with black paint, and words were sprayed on its torso using white paint, USA Today reported.

“The defacing of the statue of George Floyd has been a trend around the country,” Democratic Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said in a statement. “This horrible act is the very reason that this statue needs to remain and be upheld.”

“As this is not just about George Floyd, it’s a deliberate effort to push back against and ultimately dismantle systems of hatred, racism, and white supremacy,” Baraka added.