Head Knocked Off Confederate Soldier Statue In Cemetery

COLUMBUS, Ohio. (CBS4) - The head from a statue of a Confederate soldier is missing from a cemetery in Ohio.

Police say it was damaged by vandals who took the head, according to CBS News.

The vandals appear to have climbed into the Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery and knocked the statue to the ground, knocking off both the solider's head and hat.

It is believed the vandalism occurred early Tuesday morning.

WBNS in Columbus says that the statue, which is made of zinc, was erected in 1902 and overlooked the tombstones of 2,000 Confederate soldiers.

"I understand that markers of the Confederacy bring pain to those fighting persistent racism in our community and across the country, but the destruction of property - and the desecration of any grave site - is unacceptable regardless who was interred," Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said.

Since the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, where 32-year-old Heather Heyer was killed, protests have been held nationwide calling for the removal of Confederate statues and monuments, with others marching to keep them.

Police in Ohio had been monitoring the cemetery.