Yahoo News World War Two statue of sailor kissing stranger vandalised with #MeToo graffiti
A World War Two statue of a US sailor kissing a stranger has been vandalised with graffiti reading ‘#MeToo’.
Red spray paint was used to daub the hashtag, which highlights historic claims of sexual abuse against women.
The statue depicts George Mendonsa kissing Greta Zimmer Friedman on the day Japan surrendered, ending the Second World War.
At approximately 12:53 am, our Officers were dispatched to the intersection of N Gulfstream Ave & Bayfront Dr reference to an unknown individual spray painting ‘# MeToo’ on the Unconditional Surrender statue. Additional information is at https://t.co/gv10lGhcja pic.twitter.com/JakU8aI7QY
— SarasotaPD (@SarasotaPD) February 19, 2019
Spray painting the ‘Unconditional Surrender’ statue in Sarasota, Florida, is an apparent attempt to highlight how Ms Friedman was not asked for consent before she was kissed by Mr Mendonsa – which activists say was an act of sexual assault.
Mr Mendonsa died one day before the statue was damaged.
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Sarasota Police estimated the cost of the damage to be $1,000 (£765) ‘due to the large area that the graffiti covers’.
Views were mixed over the act:
If we have to go back alllllllll these years for a #metoo movement, about 95% of men would stand accused of something. FFS I’m so over it.
— MoCheekyMonkey (@mocheekymonkey) February 19, 2019
Good, It Should Be Torn Down, Greta Zimmer Friedman Did Not Consent, And Was Not Okay With, The Kiss Depicted Above By Sculptor Seward Johnson, Inspired By The Famous Photograph By Alfred Eisenstaedt
— Fragmented (@StolenDaughter) February 19, 2019
No, you gender fluid offended at everything snowflakes, it was the end of WW2 and I imagine the feeling of that fear lifting was immense. The lady herself said she didn’t mind given the context – grow up.
— Michael Walker (@Triceracrohns) February 20, 2019
Jeez people he kissed the nurse because he was extremely happy the bloodshed where millions of soldiers and civilians died finally ended. I don’t know why these “Me Too” extremists have to get so triggered over every single thing that happens to them.
— Meepman50 (@meepman50) February 19, 2019
So because he was “happy” it’s fine for him to put his lips on anyone he wants without even knowing them OKaY
— 🔞Tooth and Claw🔞 (@SatansTailHole) February 19, 2019
The statue depicts a sexual assault, so…
— PhilippaMaQuente (@eroauthorPMQ) February 19, 2019
People are soooo stupid! Statue and kiss has nothing to do with the “Me Too” movement! It was a great celebration to the end of a horrible war!!
— Lynn Thurber (@LynnThurber) February 20, 2019
Ms Friedman said in 2005 that it wasn’t her choice to be kissed and that Mr Mendonsa ‘grabbed’ her.
However, she made it clear the kiss was a ‘jubilant act’ and ‘it was just an event of ‘thank god the war is over.’’
Ms Zimmer son told the New York Times his mother did not view the kiss negatively after she died in 2016.
The graffiti has since been removed from the statue.
