A scarecrow-like wooden statue of U.S. First Lady Melania Trump has been burned in her native country of Slovenia, according to reports.
Police are investigating the circumstances of the incident in Rožno, near Trump’s hometown of Sevnica, according to reports from Total Slovenia News and RTV SLO.
Photos from the scene show nothing remaining of the statue except for the vine-covered stump where it once stood.
The wooden statue was built almost exactly a year ago as a tribute to the first lady. It was commissioned by American artist Brad Downey and crafted by Aleš Župevc, a sculptor who goes by the name Maxi. They also filmed a documentary to go along with the project.
The statue was designed to resemble Trump in the blue dress she wore to her husband’s inauguration.
Downey said he had the ruined statue removed from its spot as soon as police told him about the suspected arson on July 5.
“I want to know why they did it,” he told Reuters.
A wooden statue of U.S. President Donald Trump stood in Slovenia until last January when it was also burned. The statue was built by a different artist in Moravce, a town about 70 kilometres west of Rožno.
President Trump has lamented the destruction of various statues of historically racist figures in the United States in recent months amid countrywide protests against anti-Black racism and police brutality.
— With files from Reuters
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