Statue of iconic WW2 sailor kissing female stranger defaced with #MeToo phrase
It comes a day after the US sailor from the original iconic black and white photograph, George Mendonsa, died at the age of 95.
Wednesday 20 February 2019 13:57, UK
A statue of a sailor kissing a woman while celebrating the end of World War Two has been defaced with the phrase "#MeToo", Florida police said.
The statue in Sarasota depicts the famous black and white photograph of US sailor George Mendonsa kissing a female stranger, Greta Zimmer Friedman, in Times Square.
An officer discovered the phrase spray painted in red across the left leg of the woman early on Tuesday, police said in a statement.
It came a day after Mr Mendonsa's death at the age of 95 from a seizure.
Police said officers did not find any spray paint bottles in the area and no other objects were vandalised.
"There was no available surveillance video in the area that captured the incident. There are no known witnesses. It's believed the incident occurred on Monday, February 18, 2019, between the mid-afternoon and evening hours, however, it is unknown exactly what time," police said in the release.
The damage to the statue was estimated to be around $1,000 (£767.20) and the graffiti was swiftly removed.
The photograph of Mr Mendonsa kissing Ms Friedman, a dental assistant who was dressed in a nurse's uniform, was taken on VJ Day on 14 August 1945.
It was captured by Alfred Eisenstaedt and was first published in Life magazine.
The photograph was revered as a representation of joy at the end of the war, and in 2014 Time magazine said many view it as "little more than the documentation of a very public sexual assault".
Ms Friedman later spoke of her surprise at being grabbed and kissed by the sailor, who was drunk, as people spilled onto the streets of New York City to celebrate Japan surrendering to the US.
However she said she did not view it as sexual assault.
She told the Library of Congress: "The guy just came over and kissed or grabbed.
"I felt that he was very strong. He was just holding me tight."
Ms Friedman added: "It was just somebody really celebrating.
"But it wasn't a romantic event."
The photo of the kiss is popularly recreated by New York tourists and it is often seen on posters.
In 2017, the #MeToo movement in 2017 saw women around the world divulge their experiences of sexual assault and harassment, especially in the workplace. It followed sexual abuse allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein.