Sir John A. Macdonald statue vandalized in Montreal

A statue of John A. Macdonald was vandalized on Thursday, March 21, 2019 in Montreal. A group claiming responsibility says they want the statue removed alleging the former Prime Minister was a racist. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

MONTREAL -- Vandals struck a Sir John A. Macdonald statue in downtown Montreal once again, spray painting the imposing bronze monument to the country's first prime minister early Thursday.

Montreal police noted the vandalism at the site, located at Place du Canada in the downtown area.

Activists calling themselves #MacdonaldMustFall claimed responsibility and said in a statement the vandalism coincided with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination promulgated by the United Nations. They said it was done in solidarity with other worldwide actions against racism.

Critics have argued that Macdonald's role at the head of a government that created the Indian Act and established the residential school system, as well as his racist comments about Indigenous Peoples, are reason to remove monuments to him.

The statue of Canada's first prime minister was removed from the steps of Victoria City Hall in British Columbia last August.

That move sparked a debate over how such effigies should be death with. Some suggested they should remain, but context should be added so history can be expanded and not erased.

The Montreal group said the statues should be removed from public spaces and moved to archives or museums.

The City of Montreal, which owns the downtown statue, has said previously it doesn't intend to take it down, but planned to add cultural and historical references to the Indigenous community.

It has been the target of vandalism at least a half-dozen times since 2017, most recently around Christmas.

The twice-life size statue by British sculptor George Edward Wade has been in its current location since 1895.

Macdonald was prime minister between 1867 and 1873 and again between 1878 and 1891.