PENSACOLA, FL – AUGUST 20: A Confederate monument featuring an 8-foot statue of a Confederate soldier is seen in Lee Park in the midst of a national controversy over whether Confederate symbols should be removed from public display on August 20, 2017 in Pensacola, Florida. The issue is at the heart of a debate about race in America and a recent protest in Charlottesville, VA turned deadly as white-supremacists clashed with counter-demonstrators over a confederate statue. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
A Confederate monument was vandalized in Florida, weeks before officials decide on its possible removal.
The Pensacola News Journal reported that police said the monument in the city's downtown area was spray painted with the words “Your Confederate Dead," and smeared with red paint.
Police officers were examining surveillance cameras of surrounding areas to identify suspects.
The monument has been a subject of debate for several years with some seeking its removal in the wake of racial justice protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Pensacola City Council is set to vote on whether to remove it on July 16.
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