Philadelphia's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier statue defaced with graffiti: 'Committed GENOCIDE'

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Philadelphia's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution was defaced last week after vandals sprayed painted "Committed GENOCIDE" on the monument, the National Park Service said.

The agency said in a Friday Facebook post that it is working with professional conservators to remove the graffiti.

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The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution in Philadelphia was defaced last week with the phrase "Committed GENOCIDE" the agency said. (National Park Service)

"A professional stone conservator is now addressing this graffiti. The treatment saturates the painted stone with a mild solvent held in place by poultices (soft masses)," the post read. "After about two weeks, the stone's appearance should improve."

The vandalism was reported Friday, the NPS said. The incident comes as protesters across the country have expanded calls for police reform and addressing racial injustice to include taking down monuments and memorials of confederate soldiers, Christopher Columbus and statues of figures with dark histories.

Since demonstrations broke last month over the death of George Floyd on May 25 while in the custody of Minneapolis police, several monuments have been defaced, including the World War II Memorial and St. John's Episcopal Church near the White House.

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President Trump last week came out against renaming 10 military bases that are named after Confederate generals. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said he's open to renaming such installations.

Earlier this month, the Marine Corps banned the display of Confederate flags on its posts to include bumper stickers and coffee mugs, citing its use by violent extremist and racist groups.