CHICAGO (AP) – A statue of Christopher Columbus in downtown Chicago’s Grant Park was demolished early Friday, a week after protesters trying to tear down the monument to the Italian explorer clashed with police.
The teams used a large crane to remove the statue from its pedestal as a small crowd gathered to watch. The crowd cheered and the passing cars honked when the statue fell around 3 am. Several work trucks were seen in the area, but it was unclear where the statue would be taken.
A second statue of Columbus was also removed around 5:30 am Friday from Arrigo Park in Chicago’s Little Italy neighborhood.
The Associated Press sent an email and left a phone message Friday seeking comment from Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office.
Plans to remove the Grant Park statue were first reported Thursday night by the Chicago Tribune and the removal followed hours of vocal confrontations between opponents and supporters of the statue. And on July 17, protesters clashed with police., who used batons to beat people and made arrests after they said protesters attacked them with fireworks, rocks, and other items.
“This lowering statue is due to the efforts of black and indigenous activists who know the true story of Columbus and what he represents,” Stefan Cuevas-Caizaguano, a resident observing the removal, told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Both the Grant Park and Arrigo Park statues were smashed last month. The Columbus statues were also knocked down or smashed in other U.S. cities, as protesters called for the removal of the Columbus statues, saying he is responsible for the genocide and exploitation of the native peoples of the Americas.
Pasquale Gianni, of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, said the mayor had told him before his removal that both statues would be temporarily moved and housed elsewhere for reasons of public safety.
“The Italian-American community feels betrayed. The mayor’s office is yielding to a destructive and vocal minority. This is not how the Democratic process is supposed to work, “he said. WLS-TV.
The withdrawals come amid President Donald Trump’s plan to send federal law enforcement officers to the city to respond to armed violence, raising concerns that the increase will inhibit residents’ ability to hold protests. A collection of activist groups had filed a lawsuit On Thursday, trying to block federal agents to combat violent crime from interfering or monitoring protests.
Oregon state officials had sued for similar requests after the arrival of the federal police due to nearly two months of protests in Portland since the death of George Floyd in minneapolis
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This story has been corrected to indicate that the activists’ lawsuit was filed on Thursday, not Wednesday.
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