Columbus statues vandalized on US holiday named for him

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Several Christopher Columbus statues were vandalized with red paint and messages against the 15th century Italian navigator Monday when the U.S. holiday named for one of the first Europeans to reach the Americas was being celebrated. A statue in Providence, Rhode Island, was splashed from head to toe Monday with red paint, and a sign reading "Stop celebrating genocide" was leaned against the pedestal. The word "genocide" was written in orange paint on the rear of the pedestal. The statue has been the target of vandals on Columbus Day in the past. A spokeswoman for Mayor Jorge Elorza said the statue will be cleaned Monday. A Columbus statue in the Southern California city of Chula Vista was also defaced Monday with red paint. A Chula Vista police officer discov