Protesters in Baltimore on Saturday night downed a statue of Christopher Columbus that former President Ronald Reagan helped unveil in 1984, and then dumped the statue into the city’s inner harbor, according to reports.
The statue had been at the entrance to the city’s Little Italy neighborhood for 36 years, FOX 45 reported in Baltimore.
The attack came hours after protesters in Connecticut decapitated a statue of Columbus there.
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Baltimore protesters had threatened to remove the statue for weeks, according to the station.
The destruction came after a group from Little Italy hired unarmed and private security personnel to protect the statue throughout the day, but it was unclear if anyone was trying to protect it on Saturday, FOX 45 reported.
The video posted on social media showed people pulling chains that had been tied around the statue, with a rioter dressed in black giving the statue a final push as a crowd cheered.
The collapse of the Columbus statue continued a wave of vandalism against statues and monuments across the country, primarily towards historical figures that critics consider racist. Shattered or destroyed statues in other cities have included those of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, two American founding fathers who owned slaves.
While many Italian Americans consider Columbus to embody his history and heritage in the western hemisphere, others see Columbus as a conqueror who brought death and oppression to the indigenous population after his arrival in 1492.
Lester Davis, spokesman for Baltimore Mayor Bernard “Jack” Young, called the destruction of the Columbus statue as part of a “reexamination taking place nationally and globally around some of these monuments and statues that may represent things different for different people. ” the Baltimore Sun reported.
Former President Ronald Reagan heads to a ceremony in Baltimore to present a statue of Christopher Columbus on October 9, 1984. (Associated Press)
Earlier on Saturday, protesters in Waterbury Conn., Decapitated a statue of Christopher Columbus there, Hartford FOX 61 reported.
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Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary released a statement saying he was disappointed and disturbed by the crime.
“I am deeply disappointed and disturbed by the destruction inflicted today on the statue of Christopher Columbus,” wrote O’Leary. “The City of Waterbury and I, as Mayor, are deeply committed to taking action to address the impact and inequalities caused by systemic racism. However, this type of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. “
The local chapter of UNICO, an Italian-American organization, offered a $ 5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a vandalism suspect or suspects, FOX 61 reported.
