The mayor of New York dismissed Friday the idea of removing a statue of Christopher Columbus overlooking a square near Central Park, although the statues of the explorer are vandalized across the United States, in the wake of the demonstrations against racial inequality.
Despite renewed calls for the removal of this statue, including a petition signed by more than 5,000 signatures, the mayor, Bill de Blasio said he did not want to reverse its maintenance, decided in January 2018 by a commission specially formed to decide the fate of controversial monuments. "The commission has done a very thorough job ..) and I think we should stick to its conclusions," said De Blasio, during a press briefing.
We call on @NYCMayor to immediately remove every racist, white supremacist monument in New York City, beginning with Christopher Columbus at Columbus Circle and Theodore Roosevelt at the steps of the @AMNH. The time has come. Otherwise people will act ✊🏽🌱 #decolonizethisplace pic.twitter.com/FsEFM6ecfr
- DecolonizeThisPlace (@decolonize_this) June 11, 2020After several months of work, the commission had decided not to touch the statue erected in 1892 for the 400th anniversary of the "discovery" of America by the Genoese explorer, who had become a symbol of the genocide of the Amerindians and of oppression natives in general. It sits atop a column 23 meters high, in the square of "Columbus Circle".
The commission had decided to affix explanatory plaques on the history of Christopher Columbus in the square. Thursday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who wants to be at the forefront of anti-racism reforms, also spoke out for the maintenance of this statue.
“I understand the feelings around Christopher Columbus and some of his actions, which no one would defend […] But the statue is also a tribute to the contribution of the Italian-American community in New York. And for that, I support her, ”said Mr. Cuomo, from a family of Italian origins, like Mr. De Blasio with German-Italian roots.
Several statues of Christopher Columbus decapitated
In the wake of protests against racial inequality sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, several statues of Christopher Columbus were recently removed or vandalized, notably in Boston, Miami and Richmond, Virginia. Another was unbolted Thursday night in Camden, New Jersey.
Christopher Columbus statue beheaded in Boston https://t.co/tsCNJFil5J pic.twitter.com/IJWp8ybby0
- New York Post (@nypost) June 10, 2020In recent years, dozens of American cities have replaced the October celebration of "Columbus Day" - a federal holiday since 1937 - with a day of tribute to "indigenous peoples". But New York and Boston, which have large communities of Italian origin, have retained it.
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