A statue of George Washington in Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles was defaced and torn down Thursday evening and seven people were arrested.
The statue, located on Hill Street between Temple and First streets, was torn from its base and defaced around 7 p.m., CBS2 reported.
The specific reasons for the arrests were not immediately disclosed by the Los Angeles Police Department.
The protest began about 3 p.m., police said.
The monument was presented to Los Angeles County on Feb. 22, 1933, the 201st anniversary of Washington’s birth, by the Women’s Community Service, a part of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.
The monument is one of 30 copies of the original granite sculpture of Washington that sits in the Virginia Capitol, according to the Los Angeles Department of Arts and Culture.