DAVIS (CBS13) – People rallied in Davis Sunday in support of repairing the Central Park statue of Mahatma Gandhi that was vandalized this week.
Someone cut it down at the ankles, then sawed off a portion of the head, which is still missing.
Ralliers want Davis police to find the culprits and the City of Davis to reinstate the statute.
“Ghandi is our national figure, world figure. He is for peace, he is for non-violence, and he is the father figure for that actually,” said Sathee Lagaraj, of the Indian Association of Sacramento.
The pro-Gandhi car rally and vigil was met by anti-Gandhi demonstrators.
The statue has been a target of repeated protests and vandalism. Critics have argued that despite Gandhi’s achievements, he had reprehensible character flaws and that he should not be memorialized in a public park.
Signs in Davis held by opposers read: “No Place For Gandhi In USA” and “Gandhi Was A Child Molester.”
On Saturday, the Indian Government called for an investigation into the vandalism.
“The Government of India strongly condemns this malicious and despicable act against a universally respected icon of peace and justice,” the Indian government said in a news release.
The City of Davis issued a statement on the matter that can be read below:
“The City of Davis condemns the vandalism that destroyed the statue of Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi in Central Park. We do not support any actions that include the destruction of property. We understand that our community reflects a diversity of views and values, but we expect that everyone will extend respect to each other and to shared spaces. We are committed to creating a City that is inclusive and lives up to our principles. We work diligently to ensure the physical and psychological safety of every resident. Acts of destruction are violent and shatter this safety.
We sympathize with those who are grieving the destruction of the statue and promise a thorough investigation and full accountability for those who committed this crime. We sympathize with those who have sincerely voiced their opposition to the statue and who feel unheard. But we reiterate our belief that the solution to solving such differences is never in violent acts but through compromise and dialogue. It is our sincere desire that our community move forward with peaceful and positive discourse and reconciliation.”
More from CBS Sacramento:
https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2021/01/31/davis-gandhi-rally/
2021-02-01 02:23:00Z
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