Via Twitter

Someone spray painted “Black Lives Matter” on the statue of a Confederate soldier in Rockville overnight or in the early morning.

The 102-year-old monument, which sits on the grounds of the Red Brick Courthouse, has been the subject of recent debate in Montgomery County. County Executive Isiah Leggett ordered it to be ordered this month, though it wasn’t immediately clear when and how that would happen. The decision spurred a contentious debate at a public meeting, WTOP reported.

According to the non-profit Peerless Rockville (which advocates for maintaining the monument), the statue was dedicated on June 3, 1913— Jefferson Davis’ birthday and 50 years after the Battle of Gettysburg. Some believe the solider’s head was modeled after a Confederate veteran and Rockville’s mayor from 1898-1901, Spencer C. Jones.

Filed Under: confederate soldier statue, confederate state, montgomery county, rockville, statue,