vandalizing a christopher columbus statue is not a “hate crime”, c’mon now nypd

The folks over at the NYPD are investigating the most recent
vandalization of a public Christopher Columbus statue as a hate crime. A hate crime against whom? Who knows.

UPDATE: the NYPD's Hate Crime Task Force is at Columbus Statue in Central Park assisting with the investigation pic.twitter.com/AOZJ6JQiMR

— New York City Alerts (@NYCityAlerts) September 12, 2017

Yesterday morning, Central Park employees altered the police that the 1892 bronze statue had been vandalized—his hands painted red and the words “Hate will not be tolerated” and “#somethingscoming” were written on the pedestal. Because resistence to hate is its own hate crime?

The graffiti job comes just weeks after City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito announced that the statue was under reviewed for removal.