George Floyd Statue Vandalized in NYC’s Union Square Two Days After Unveiling

A statue of George Floyd in New York City’s Union Square was vandalized on Sunday, two days after it was first unveiled as part of an exhibition that also features busts of Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) and Breonna Taylor.

A man was captured on video footage Sunday hurling paint at the bust of Floyd at around 10 a.m before leaving the scene, according to The Associated Press, citing police. The statues of Taylor and Lewis were reportedly left unharmed.

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The exhibition, dubbed “SEEINJUSTICE,” opened to the public on Friday. The three statues — each almost six feet tall and weighing approximately 1,000 pounds — are made of 200 layers of African mahogany plywood that is coated with bronze metallic paint, according to The New York Times.

The display, made by artist Chris Carnabuci, 57, was inspired by the events that took place in 2020, according to Confront Art, an organization that links artists with social justice causes to create public art.

Racial injustice protests broke out last year in response to the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, who were both killed at the hands of police.

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The statues, which are named “FLOYD,” “BREONNA” and “JOHN LEWIS” will be on display in Union Square until Oct. 30. After that, they will be brought to different cities throughout the country.

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