Police investigate disappearance of Melania Trump statue in her native Slovenia
Police in Slovenia are investigating the disappearance of a bronze statue of US first lady Melania Trump from her home town.
The life-size sculpture was unveiled in 2020 during President Donald Trump's first term in office near Sevnica in central Slovenia, where Mrs Trump was born in 1970.
Advertisement
It replaced a wooden statue that had been set on fire earlier that year.
A bronze sculpture representing Melania Trump stands in the village of Rozno, near her hometown of Sevnica, Slovenia (Darko Bandic/AP)
Police spokeswoman Alenka Drenik Rangus said on Friday that the police were informed about the theft of the statue on Tuesday. She said police were working to track down those responsible.
According to Slovenian media reports, the bronze replica was sawn off at the ankles and removed.
The original wooden statue was set on fire in July 2020. The rustic figure was cut from the trunk of a linden tree, showing her in a pale blue dress like the one she wore at Mr Trump's presidential inauguration in 2017.
Advertisement
Franja Kranjc, who works at a bakery in Sevnica that sells cakes with Melania Trump's name in support of the first lady, said the stolen statue will not be missed.
'I think no one was really proud at this statue, not even the first lady of the USA,' he said. 'So I think it's OK that it's removed.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
22 minutes ago
- Metro
Violence spirals out of control across LA after Trump says 'bring in the troops'
Los Angeles has been rocked by violent protests, with Donald Trump calling for soldiers to bring the city under control. Rioters blocked off a major road and set self-driving cars on fire as police used tear gas, rubber bullets and flash bangs to control the crowd. British photographer Nick Stern, 60, from Hertford, was among those shot: he had his thigh pierced by a rubber bullet while taking pictures on Saturday evening, and told Metro how he passed out from the pain and needed surgery. The unrest was sparked by sweeping immigration raids, part of the pledge by the president to arrest some 3,000 suspected illegal migrants every day. Thousands of protesters took to the streets in response to Trump's deployment of the National Guard, against the wishes of California's state governor. The situation calmed down somewhat by yesterday evening, with police declaring an unlawful assembly, which means they can arrest those who do not leave. Some of those remaining hurled objects at police from behind a makeshift barricade, and others threw chunks of concrete, rocks, electric scooters and fireworks at California Highway Patrol officers and their vehicles parked on the closed southbound 101 freeway. Officers ran under an overpass to take cover. The protests in LA, a sprawling city of four million people, were centred in downtown several blocks. The Guard was deployed specifically to protect federal buildings, including the detention centre where protesters concentrated. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said officers were 'overwhelmed' by the remaining protesters. He said they included regular agitators who appear at demonstrations to cause trouble. Several dozen people were arrested throughout the weekend of protest. One was detained on Sunday for throwing a Molotov cocktail at police, and another for ramming a motorcycle into a line of officers. Mr Trump responded to Mr McDonnell on Truth Social, telling him to arrest protesters in face masks. 'Looking really bad in L.A. BRING IN THE TROOPS!!! he wrote. Starting in the morning, the troops stood shoulder to shoulder, carrying long guns and riot shields as protesters shouted 'shame' and 'go home'. After some closely approached the guard members, another set of uniformed officers advanced on the group, shooting smoke-filled canisters into the street. Minutes later, the Los Angeles Police Department fired rounds of crowd-control munitions to disperse the protesters, who they said were assembled unlawfully. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Much of the group then moved to block traffic on the 101 freeway until state patrol officers cleared them from the roadway by late afternoon. Nearby, at least four self-driving Waymo cars were set on fire, sending large plumes of black smoke into the sky and exploding intermittently as the electric vehicles burned. By evening, police had issued an unlawful assembly order shutting down several blocks of downtown Los Angeles. Flash bangs echoed out every few seconds into the evening. Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom requested that Mr Trump remove the guard members in a letter on Sunday afternoon, calling their deployment a 'serious breach of state sovereignty'. He was in Los Angeles meeting local law enforcement and officials. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Elon Musk has 'PTSD' after leaving White House, his dad says MORE: Why did Donald Trump and Elon Musk fall out? Feud explained MORE: The Dark MAGA conspiracy about Trump, Musk and a new world order
NBC News
33 minutes ago
- NBC News
L.A. unrest live updates: Crowds protesting immigration raids ordered to leave downtown
What we know Protesters against federal immigration raids were ordered to leave downtown Los Angeles overnight as law enforcement shot less-lethal rounds. Demonstrators spilled onto the 101 Freeway, partially shutting it down, while others set fire to driverless Waymo cars. Police reported looting. Around 300 National Guard members are in the city after President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 troops in a move California Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized as inflammatory. About 500 Marines are also ready to deploy. 'Border czar' Tom Homan defended the deployment, threatening Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass with arrest if they impede efforts. Trump called on them to apologize to Angelenos for their handling of the protests, but Newsom responded saying: 'Tom, arrest me. Let's go."
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Why is LA protesting? Trump deploys National Guard after immigration raids spark major unrest
Donald Trump has authorized the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles after an immigration crackdown erupted into mass protests on Saturday. The first troops arrived on Sunday morning, with around 300 being dispersed over three locations in Greater Los Angeles. Footage has shown protesters throwing rocks at law enforcement vehicles and others trying to get in the way of a Marshals Service bus after more than a hundred arrests were made. On Sunday the violence continued, with state authorities urging calm and blasting the president for the 'unnecessary' action that was designed to create 'chaos' and 'a spectacle.' Here, the Independent breaks down what you need to know about the unrest in LA. How did the protest start? Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conducted search warrants at multiple locations on Friday. One search was executed outside a clothing warehouse in the Fashion District, after a judge found probable cause that the employer was using fictitious documents for some of its workers, according to representatives for Homeland Security Investigations and the US Attorney's Office. Crowds tried to stop ICE agents from driving away following the arrests. Another protest was sparked outside a federal building in downtown LA, after demonstrators discovered detainees were allegedly being held in the basement of the building. Protests then erupted in Paramount, LA, after it appeared federal law enforcement officers were conducting another immigration operation in the area. The protests also spread to the nearby city of Compton. LA County Sheriff Robert Luna stated that as many as 400 people were involved in the demonstration. The ICE operations in Los Angeles resulted in the arrests of 118 immigrants this week, including 44 people in Friday's operations, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The arrests led to protesters gathering outside a federal detention center, chanting, "Set them free, let them stay!" Why is Trump deploying the National Guard? On Saturday, Trump ordered the deployment of at least 2,000 National Guard troops to LA. "If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can't do their jobs, which everyone knows they can't, then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!' he wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday. California Governor Gavin Newsom also wrote on social media that the "federal government is moving to take over the California National Guard and deploy 2,000 soldiers. That move is purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions.' He added deployment is "the wrong mission and will erode public trust." The state National Guard has not been federalized by a president, overriding a governor, since 1965. How have things progressed since? On Sunday the first national guard troops arrived in areas of Los Angeles, including in Paramount – but also in the downtown area. According to the U.S. Northern Command, 300 troops had been dispersed over three locations in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Footage shared online showed an escalation in the clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement with police in riot gear using tear gas to disperse people. Other video showed protesters throwing fireworks and other projectiles at officers. Vehicles have been set on fire and graffiti reading 'f*** ICE' has been sprayed in multiple locations. By late Sunday morning the LAPD had already made 29 arrests, with law enforcement braced for 'several more protests' in the city throughout the day. A police source told CBS that city officials "are supportive of immigrant rights" and described the current situation a "no win" for law enforcement. Meanwhile a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department told The Independent that just two arrests had been made in the city of Paramount on Saturday. The city's Democratic representative Nanette Barragán told CNN's State of the Union that she is being told to prepare for "30 days of ICE enforcement.' Over on the east coast around 20 anti-ICE protesters were also led away by police in New York, following demonstrations in lower Manhattan. ABC7 reported that dozens of protesters were out for hours at Federal Plaza on Sunday, calling out concerns about ICE detainments. Earlier on Sunday, Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino confirmed arrests had been made in New York as well as Los Angeles, warning protesters to 'choose wisely.' What has the reaction been? Newsom and Bass have both continued to speak out against the president's decision to deploy the troops, describing it as 'unnecessary' and an attempt by the administration to create 'chaos.' In a statement put out via email the governor said that Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth 'want a spectacle' and violence. 'We have been working closely with law enforcement. There is no unmet need. The President is attempting to inflame passions and provoke a response,' he wrote. 'He would like nothing more than for this provocative show of force -- and Pete Hegseth's absurd threat to deploy United States Marines on American soil – to escalate tensions and incite violence. 'They want a spectacle. They want the violence. They think this is good for them politically.' Newsom added: 'This is not the way a civilized country behaves. It is completely deranged behavior. Don't give them the spectacle they want. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully and in large numbers.' Speaking to KTLA on Sunday, Bass said that Trump's decision was unnecessary and 'just political.' 'I'm very disappointed. To me, this is just completely unnecessary, and I think it's the [Trump] administration just posturing.' Other Democrats including Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New Jersey Senator Corey Booker backed Newsom and Bass, with Booker describing the president's actions as 'hypocritical at best.' Members of the Trump administration and GOP, including FBI Director Kash Patel, Speaker Mike Johnson and Homeland Security Secretary Krist Noem, rallied around the president.
