Statue for AIDS victims vandalized in Amsterdam

A statue commemorating the millions of people who died from AIDS was vandalized in Amsterdam, just four days after the pink 3D-printed statue was unveiled on Beursplein on Sunday. Employees of the Aidsfonds found the statue broken on Thursday evening, NOS reports.

"The statue was broken off at the knees and we assume vandalism", director Mark Vermeulen said to the broadcaster. "We are deeply shocked." The foundation reported the vandalism to the police.

Aidsfonds ambassador Angela Groothuizen unveiled the life-size statue of a woman standing in a basin on Sunday afternoon. The statue is meant to call attention to the 770 thousand victims AIDS claims worldwide every year. The woman sheds a tear every 40 seconds, symbolizing the fact that someone in the world dies of the disease every 40 seconds. The basin she stands in represents the 32 million people who died of AIDS since the outbreak of the disease.

The statue is part of a nationwide campaign and was scheduled to be moved to Amersfoort on Friday. "The campaign will continue", Vermeulen said. "We are now looking at whether the statue can be repaired or whether it needs to be reprinted."