A group of unidentified attackers have burned down a statue of First Lady Melania Trump in Slovenia. The incident that took place on July 4 left the life-sized statue disfigured and left behind to be later taken down by other residents of Sevnica, the first lady’s birthplace.
The artist who commissioned the sculpture, Brad Downey, a Berlin-based American artist, was quoted by Reuters as saying, “I want to know why they did it.”
Downey, who is preparing for an exhibition in Slovenia in September, said he has filed a complaint with the police and would like to interview the culprits for a film he was preparing for the exhibition.
The dress worn by the statue resembles the one Melania wore when her husband, Donald Trump, took oath as president in 2017.
The figure was carved with a chainsaw by local folk artist Ales Zupevc from the trunk of a living linden tree.
In recent weeks, President Donald Trump had pledged to take a hard line on anyone destroying or vandalising US historical monuments, as political activism against racial injustice has swept across the country.
President Donald Trump has also taken a hard line on immigrants in recent weeks by announcing a ban on H1B visas.
