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Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers issued a statement Wednesday morning, saying the violence will not be tolerated.

\"What happened in Madison last night presented a stark contrast from the peaceful protests we have seen across our state in recent weeks, including significant damage to state property,\" Evers said. \"Any single act of injustice against one person is less justice for all of us, and the people who committed these acts of violence will be held accountable. My thoughts are with Sen. Carpenter who was among the individuals attacked last night and wish him a quick recovery.\"

Authorities are assessing the damage to state property and have recovered both of the toppled statues, according to Evers.

\"We are prepared to activate the Wisconsin National Guard to protect state buildings and infrastructure,\" he added, \"and are continuing to work with local law enforcement to understand their response to last night’s events and their plan to respond to similar events in the future.\"

\"PHOTO:
Lawrence Andrea/Imagn via USA Today
PHOTO: The "Forward" statue that typically sits at the top of State Street outside the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison was torn down by protesters, June, 23, 2020.
>

The civil unrest comes on the heels of the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed and handcuffed Black man who died in Minneapolis on May 25 shortly after a white police officer was filmed kneeling on his neck as three other officers stood by. Demonstrations taking place across the United States and around the world are demanding police reform as well as an end to police brutality and racial injustice.

The protest movement has also called into question the appropriateness of a number of statues and monuments, specifically those depicting historical figures linked to racism, colonialism and slavery.

On Monday night, protesters tried to pull down a 168-year-old bronze equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson in a park near the White House in Washington, D.C. but police intervened. Jackson, a former U.S. Army general who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837, has long been criticized by Native American activists for his role in forcing indigenous tribes off their ancestral lands. Many of them died in the process.

Earlier this month, protesters in Virginia's capital tore down a statue of Jefferson Davis, who served as the president of the Confederate States of America from 1861 to 1865.

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