Buffalo Police are investigating the vandalism of the Mckinley Monument in Niagara Square according to a report aired on WIVB-TV.

Enter your number to get our free mobile app

Police say the 96-foot-tall obelisk dedicated to the 25th president, assassinated in Buffalo in 1901, was extensively defaced with paint and chalk sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning.

Buffalo Police Capt. Jeff Rinaldo labeled the act "vandalism ... straight-up criminal activity."

"People protesting down there have generally kept out the troublemakers, but overnight somebody caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage," he said. "You can't claim that is protest."

Rinaldo said police have stepped up patrols near the monument, but they often are interrupted by emergency calls around the city.

Still, he said, investigators will now review footage from the many security cameras in the area and appeal to the public for any further information.

Anyone with information is asked to call or text the confidential tip line at 716-847-2255.

In the wake of recent demonstrations numerous Washington, D.C., landmarks have also been the target of vandalism including the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and the Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski statue in Freedom Plaza.

Photo Credit: Buffalo Police Dept
Photo Credit: Buffalo Police Dept
loading...

 

READ MORE: 10 free apps to help you get fit in our new normal

More From 92.9 WBUF