Police investigate after Queen Victoria statue splattered with red paint

Police are searching for suspects after a statue of Queen Victoria was found covered in red paint in Kitchener's Victoria Park on Thursday. 

Waterloo Region Police (WRPS) responded to a call for property damage at the park around 12:15 p.m. on Canada Day, but it's unclear when the incident took place. 

WRPS was alerted to the incident on social media, Const. André Johnson told CBC News, adding the Forensic Identification Unit processed the scene shortly after officers arrived.

The red paint was splattered onto the front of the statue, covering it from just underneath Queen Victoria's head. The pedestal she stands on was hit with paint as well.

The incident comes after many cities and municipalities around the country cancelled Canada Day celebrations in the wake of the findings of unmarked graves at several former residential school sites. 

In Manitoba, two statues of Queen Victoria were pulled down, one of which was covered in red and white paint, during a rally Thursday organized to honour the memory of Indigenous children at those residential schools.

Queen Victoria reigned from June 1837 until her death in 1901. As such, she was the monarch as Canada entered Confederation, negotiated treaties with Indigenous Peoples and as the federal government enacted its residential schools policy.

Victoria Park in Kitchener was named after Queen Victoria. The statue was unveiled in 1911 on Victoria Day, 10 years after her death.