Pittsburgh Christopher Columbus statue splashed with paint

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Christopher Columbus statue built with donations from Italian-Americans in Pittsburgh nearly 60 years ago has been defaced with red paint.

Someone vandalized the statue on Monday, the nation’s official Columbus Day observance. Nobody’s been charged.

City operations chief Guy Costa — who is Italian — condemned the vandalism and feels it’s aimed at Italian-Americans.

Critics would like to see the statue near the Phipps Conservatory removed because they view Columbus as responsible for killing off or enslaving indigenous people.

Costa also chairs the city’s Columbus Day parade and says that group is working to prevent vandalism and to keep it from being relocated.