Activists criticize vandalism of 'comfort women' memorial statue in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO - A "comfort women" memorial in San Francisco in California has recently become the target of vandalism ahead of the anniversary of its installment, and activists said the act may have been motivated by hate.

The statue, called "Column of Strength", depicts a grandmother looking up at three Asian girls standing on a pedestal and holding hands together.

They represent "comfort women", the hundreds of thousands of women from China and other Asian countries who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II.