NEW ORLEANS - Graffiti was sprayed on the memorial to former Confederate President Jefferson Davis overnight in New Orleans.

The words "Angela Davis" were sprayed on the base of the statue some time overnight on New Year's Eve, according to WWL-TV. Davis is a civil rights activist who rose to prominence in the 60s and 70s.

The statue is one of four monuments targeted for removal by New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu and sits in the neutral ground near the intersection of Jefferson Davis Parkway and Canal Street.

The New Orleans city council recently voted 6-1 to declare those four monuments as public nuisances, clearing the way for their removal or relocation.

A court date is set for later this month to hear a lawsuit filed by a group who wants to keep the monuments where they are.