I am a member of a non-creedal religion that honors the inherent worth and dignity of every person. I could never be capable of an act of this sort. The demolition of these statues is what we call iconoclasm-literally the breaking of icons. During the Protestant Reformation, for instance, there were many acts of iconoclasm, where statues of Mary or the saints were taken from churches and burned or demolished. The early Catholic Church showed no more sensitivity when it demolished the religious icons of pagans in Europe or native people in the Americas.
Iconoclasm is, almost by definition, an act of disrespect to another's religious beliefs.
But when we call someone iconoclastic now, that is typically taken to be a compliment. Typically, we now use the word for someone who attacks the ideas of other people, and not their physical icons. And to a certain extent, ideological iconoclasm is a good thing. In the sciences, we believe that the cause of the truth is served by passionate disputation, and no idea is sacred or beyond criticism. In my own life, I can recall times when I took a similar approach to questions of religious truth.