Vandals target Plymouth Rock

Vandals used red spray paint to deface Plymouth Rock and several other historic landmarks in Plymouth, Massachusetts, town officials said Monday.

Plymouth Rock is said to mark the landing place of the Pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower in 1620. The other sites that were targeted include the National Monument to the Forefathers and a statue called "The Pilgrim Maiden."

Melissa Arrighi, Plymouth's town manager, tweeted that she was "saddened and sickened" by the vandalism, adding that the police are investigating. Lea Filson, executive director of See Plymouth, said seeing "this type of disrespect for the historic reminders of the Mayflower story is both sad and unsettling. The outpouring of concern and anger over the incident has been a positive ending to a thoughtless gesture."

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By Monday night, most of the graffiti had been removed. This isn't the first time the rock has been targeted; in 2014, someone spray painted "LIES" onto the boulder. Plymouth will celebrate its 400th anniversary this year, with an opening ceremony in late April.