The city’s Christopher Columbus statues have been repeatedly vandalized in recent weeks amid renewed calls the monuments should be torn down. The Christopher Columbus statue in Little Italy’s Arrigo Park recently had the word “killer” sprayed on it, and someone dumped paint on it. In Grant Park, another Columbus statue was spray painted with the words “BLM” and “genocide.”

The statues have now been covered in plastic wrap to keep them from being damaged further. It’s not the first time the statue in Little Italy was targeted. In October 2017, three men were seen defacing it with red paint. Now and in the past, police officers and community members have tried to protect the statues.