Confederate Monument Vandalized At Nashville Cemetery

NASHVILLE, TN -- Vandals spray-painted a prominent Confederate memorial at a historic Nashville cemetery.

Messages in support of Antifa and Black Lives Matter, along with statements saying "Dismantle White Supremacy" and "F--- The South" were painted in black on the 45-foot obelisk at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, along with slashed-out swastikas and what appears to be the symbol of the Iron Front, a 1930s German anti-fascist and anti-communist paramilitary group. One nearby marker was also vandalized.

The obelisk stands at the center of Confederate Circle. During the Civil War, bodies of Confederate soldiers were buried in the plot and then, in 1869, the space was purchased by the Ladies Memorial Society of Nashville and other bodies were re-located to the plot. Among the more than 1,500 Confederate soldiers buried there are seven generals. The obelisk was built in 1889.

Though pictures of the vandalism just began making the rounds Feb. 6, Metro Police said it was first reported Jan. 31. It's unclear when the paint will be removed.

All photos by J.R. Lind, Patch staff