After a predawn attack that turned one of the four granite panels into rubble, a rural Georgia monument was destroyed Wednesday.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, an explosive device damaged the Georgia Guidestones monument in Elberton. It was later destroyed “for safety reasons” and left a pile of rubble that investigators published.
Surveillance footage revealed that a powerful explosion blew one panel to the ground just after 4 AM. Investigators also released video showing a silver sedan leaving this monument.
Chris Kubas, executive vice president of Elbert Granite Association, stated that video cameras from the county’s emergency dispatch centre were placed at the site after previous vandalism.
The mysterious roadside attraction was constructed from local granite in 1980 by an unknown individual or group, who used the pseudonym R.C. Christian.
Katie McCarthy, who studies conspiracy theories for Anti-Defamation League, said that this has given the guidestones an air of mystery because it is not known who the people who commissioned them. This has led to a lot speculation and conspiracy theories over the years about the true intent of the guidestones.
The panels were 16 feet high (5 meters high) and contained a 10-part message in 8 languages. It included guidance on living in an “age” of reason. One section called for the preservation of a world population below 500 million. Another part called for “guide reproduction wisely” to improve fitness and diversity.
It was also used as an astronomical and sundial. The panels’ mentions of eugenics and population control made them an easy target for far-right conspiracists.
Kubas stated that the monument gained notoriety with the advent of the internet. It became a tourist attraction on the roadside, drawing thousands each year.
The site was rediscovered after Kandiss Taylor, third-place Republican candidate for Georgia’s gubernatorial primary on May 24, claimed that the guidestones were satanic. She made demolishing them part of her platform. In a late May segment, John Oliver, a comedian, featured Taylor and the guidestones. McCarthy stated that right-wing personalities, including Alex Jones, had spoken about them in the past but that they “kind of came back on the public’s radar because of Taylor.
“God is God by Himself.” Taylor posted on social media Wednesday that Taylor can do anything he wants. “That includes removing Satanic Guidestones.”
McCarthy stated that the monument had been vandalized before, including when it was spray painted in 2008 and 2014. McCarthy said that the bombing was another example of conspiracy theories having a real-world effect.
McCarthy stated, “We’ve seen it with QAnon as well as multiple other conspiracy theories. These ideas can lead someone to try and take action to further these beliefs.” They can also try to target institutions and people who are associated with these false beliefs.
Kubas and other people saw the stones as a guide for rebuilding society following an apocalypse.
Kubas stated, “It’s up for your own interpretation of how you want them to be seen.”
It is located approximately 7 miles (11 km) north of Elberton, and 90 miles (145 km) east of Atlanta. The site is close to the South Carolina state border. Kubas stated that granite quarrying is a major local industry and employs approximately 2,000 people.
Elberton police, Elberton sheriff’s deputies and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation all are trying to find out what happened. A bomb squad technician was called to investigate and the state highway near the scene was temporarily closed.
There were no suspects.
Kubas stated that local officials and community leaders would have to decide who pays for restoration.
Kubas stated, “If it didn’t appeal to you, you didn’t have to go see it and then read it.” “But unfortunately, someone decided that they didn’t want anyone reading it.”
