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Scrappers Target Historic Detroit Monument

DETROIT (WWJ) - Scrap metal thieves strike again --- this time, their target is a sentimental and historical monument in Detroit.

Many people in the city are wondering if anything is held sacred as scrappers tried to steal a bronze plaque from the "Gateway to Freedom" statue along the Detroit Riverfront just off Hart Plaza, according to a report by the Detroit News.

The statue stands as a tribute to slaves who used the Underground Railroad to flee to freedom. It has a sister statue over in Windsor called the "Tower of Freedom."

The plaque has since been removed for safekeeping until it can be attached more securely. The non-profit Detroit 300 Conservancy, with help from the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., plans to use money from a General Motors contribution to repair the statue.

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