On June 13 the statue was found with red paint in multiple places
For a decade, the Gryphon statue on the corner of Stone Rd. and Gordon St. has been a staple in the university community.
On June 13, the statue was defaced. Red paint was splattered on the gryphon’s head and the book that the gryphon sits on.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said a community member.
As of 9 a.m. the University of Guelph’s physical resource team was on scene cleaning up the defacement.
The day before, students celebrating their convocation were seen taking photos posing with the Gryphon to celebrate their graduation.
The defacement comes three weeks after pro-Palestinian protesters began their encampment on campus.
Pro-Palestinian encampments have been occurring at universities across North America, and many are escalating their protesting tactics.
The Ontarion has reached out to UoGforPalestine for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
This is an ongoing story and will be updated.