melania statue

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Melania Trump statue removed after being set on fire

The wooden statue was famous for not resembling the First Lady.

 

Siobhan Ball

Tech

Posted on Jul 9, 2020

The statue of Melania Trump in her hometown in Slovenia has been taken down after being set on fire by persons unknown.

"Looking at that statue, I think Melania ordered it." over before and after pics
@MikeDuffyWPLaw

The statue, which was carved by chainsaw from a living tree, is renowned for bearing very little actual resemblance to the First Lady or indeed to any human woman. It became a tourist attraction, but the statue wasn’t meant to celebrate the First Lady. Instead, it was commissioned by American artist Brad Downey to serve as a political statement on Trump’s inconsistent approach to immigration, and the hypocrisy of marrying an immigrant while trying to reduce their overall numbers.

"A statue of Melania Trump, that previously stood near her hometown of Sevnica, Slovenia, was set on fire on July 4. The statue wasn't destroyed, but was significantly charred before the artist took it down.   I DON'T REALLY CARE, DO U?" gif of statue burning
@girlsreallyrule

The statue was unpopular with locals due to both its appearance and the message, with residents calling it a “disgrace” and claiming it bore more resemblance to Smurfette than the First Lady.

"This was the statue? Tf? Baby, first they need to burn that shit down anyhow, then get an REAL artist redo, and then burn that shit down. The fuck was this even before? #Slovenia #Melania #firstlady" image of Melania next to the statue
@girlsreallyrule

The statue was set on fire during the evening of July Fourth and removed the next day when Downey learned about what had happened. He told Reuters he wants to know who set the statue on fire, and the motivation behind it. The police have announced an investigation but are unable to release any information yet.

"A photo of a wooden sculpture resembling Trump on fire, in Moravce, Slovenia, Jan. 9, 2020. The wooden nearly 26 feet statue mocking US President Donald Trump was constructed last year, has been destroyed by fire in the homeland of his wife Melania Trump." over image of blocky wooden Trump sculpture and a second image of it on fire
@SoulWoman

This isn’t the first Trump family statue burned down in Slovenia. A statue of the president that was erected in Sela pri Kamniku was burned down in January. Intended as a criticism of populism by artist Tomaz Schlegl, the statue met a hostile reception from locals who saw it as an eyesore.

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*First Published: Jul 9, 2020, 12:32 pm CDT