Lothian (US), Jul 4 (AP) A privately owned Confederate statue at a Maryland church has been toppled and vandalised, according to police.

The Capital Gazette reports that photos provided by Anne Arundel County police show that the statue at Mt Calvary Anglican Church in Lothian was ripped off its concrete platform.

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The word “racist” was written in red spray paint on the platform and descriptive plaque for the statue of Private Benjamin Welch Owens, who served in a Confederate Maryland artillery unit during the Civil War.

Police said the statue was last seen undamaged late Thursday. No suspects were immediately identified. (AP)

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)