The statue of John A. Macdonald that stands in Place du Canada was hit by vandals on Sunday.
The monument was spray painted red.
The defacement was captured in a video posted online.
In an accompanying statement, a group claimed responsibility. In the statement, the group said that while they were not affiliated with any of the organizations involved in Sunday’s anti-racism rally, their motive for the vandalism was “inspired in part by movements in the USA to target public symbols of white supremacy… such as Confederate statues.”
The statement was posted to the Facebook page of Sunday's demonstration by activist Jaggi Singh.
Statues and monuments honouring some of Canada's founders have been criticized in recent years, with activists pointing to their treatment of the country's First Nations and other minorities as black marks on Canadian history.
The debate echoes one in the United States, where statues in the likeliness of Confederate leaders have sparked protests both for and against the monuments.
In September, a street originally named after British general Jeffrey Amhert was renamed. Amhert, who was commander in chief of Britain's North American forces, supported actions such as giving Native people smallpox-infested blankets.
A month earlier, a plaque honouring Confederate president Jefferson Davis was removed by the Hudson's Bay Company from outside it's downtown Montreal store.
