The Satanic Temple of Iowa says a statue depicting the pagan idol Baphomet, part of its controversial display in the Iowa Capitol, has been destroyed.
“This morning, we were informed by authorities that the Baphomet statue in our holiday display was destroyed beyond repair,” the group said in a statement posted on Facebook on Thursday.
It did not indicate whether the vandal or vandals had been identified.
Capitol security could not be reached for comment late Thursday.
The installation, permitted under state rules governing religious displays in the building, has come under debate and criticism of by Iowa and national politicians.
Ron DeSantis on Tuesday joined a chorus of Republicans calling for its removal while others in the GOP said that, though it is offensive, it is a protected form of free speech.
The robed figure of Baphomet holds a ribbon-bedecked pentangle and topped with a gilded ram’s head.
Despite the destruction of the figure, the Satanic Temple on Facebook that the remainder of the display ― a small altar displaying the temple’s seal and the seven tenets of satanism, would remain for now.
“We are proud to continue our holiday display for the next few days that have been allotted,” it said.
It also cautioned visitors to it to “travel together and use the 7 tenets as a reminder for empathy, in the knowledge that justice is being pursued in the correct way, through legal means.”
The message concluded, “Happy Holidays! Hail Satan.”
The Satanic Temple of Iowa received permission earlier this month to place the display on the first floor of the Capitol for two weeks.
A Christian nativity display was placed in the building Tuesday.
Lucien Greaves, the co-founder of The Satanic Temple, spoke out about the incident on social media.
The Satanic Temple is a national network based in Salem, Massachusetts.
Greaves said the vandalism was a “hate crime.”
“They had their own displays, their own protests, they ‘filled the capitol with prayers,’” he began.
“They did interviews with media outlets who allowed them to put words in our mouths without seeking comment from us and then they vandalized our display anyways,” Greaves wrote.
“And they still play the victim,” he concluded.
Now, a former U.S. Navy fighter pilot running for a statehouse seat in Mississippi is being accused of the damage.
Michael Cassidy of Lauderdale, Mississippi, was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, the Iowa Department of Public Safety said Friday.
He was released shortly after his arrest.
Cassidy is a Republican running for a seat in the Mississippi House of Representatives.
The biography on his campaign website says he served as a Navy fighter pilot and a pilot instructor.
Cassidy describes himself as a “Christian conservative who loves our nation and is committed to preserving the blessings of liberty bestowed upon us by the Founding generation.”
On Friday, part of the display remained at the site in the Capitol.
A lone man, who declined to give his name, sat in front of the display and recited Christian prayers, making references to Jesus.
It wasn’t immediately clear if he was a supporter or detractor of the Satanic Temple.