Montanelli statue in Milan vandalized amid global Black Lives Matter protests

The bronze statue of journalist Indro Montanelli in Milan's public gardens has been vandalized with red paint and the words 'racist' and 'rapist' on June 13, 2020. The act was claimed by Rete Studenti Milano and LuMe, and supported by the Sentinelli di Milano, who had previously called for its removal due to Montanelli's past: during the fascist invasion of Ethiopia, he purchased and married a 12-year-old Eritrean girl, Destà, as a sexual slave, a fact he later boasted about. The statue, created by sculptor Vito Tongiani and inaugurated on May 22, 2006, under Mayor Gabriele Albertini, has been controversial since its unveiling, criticized for its funereal aesthetics and for honoring a figure opposed to monuments. Previous incidents include a fake bomb in 2012 and pink paint on International Women's Day 2019 by feminist group Non Una di Meno. Mayor Beppe Sala responded that the statue will not be removed, acknowledging Montanelli's problematic past but citing his contributions to journalism and press freedom. The controversy is part of a global wave of statue removals and defacements following George Floyd's death, including Christopher Columbus in St. Paul, Jefferson Davis in Virginia, and Edward Colston in Bristol.