Louis Krauss, who shared the video of the fall, said there were at least 300 people gathered at the scene.
“After it overturned, the statue was smashed into several pieces, which were then dragged across the plaza and dumped into the inner harbor,” Krauss told CNN.
The statue has been next to Little Italy for more than 30 years and is the latest to fall in recent weeks amid protests. Both crowds of protesters and local orders have removed other tributes to Columbus, Confederate leaders, and other controversial figures representing racist parts of United States history.
Baltimore City Council President Brandon Scott said in a statement that he had previously suggested the statue be removed, according to WBAL.
“I support the Italian-American community in Baltimore and the indigenous community in Baltimore,” the statement said. “However, I cannot support Columbus.”
CNN has contacted the Baltimore Police Department for comments.
On Wednesday, the mayor of Richmond, Virginia, invoked his emergency powers to remove multiple Confederate monuments across the city, including a statue honoring Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Last month, a judge ordered the removal of a Confederate monument in an Atlanta suburb.
Elsewhere in the country, protesters shot down controversial symbols, including a group in Portland, Oregon, which knocked down a statue of George Washington last month and set it on fire. In Richmond, Virginia, crowds toppled the statue of Confederation President Jefferson Davis a day after knocking down a statue of Columbus.
Melissa Alonso and Alta Spells of CNN contributed to this report.
