The mayor of New York on Friday dismissed the idea of removing a statue of Christopher Columbus towering over a plaza near Central Park, though the explorer’s statues were under attack across the United States in the wake of protests against the racial inequalities.
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• Read also: Christopher Columbus statues attacked in Boston, Miami and Virginia
Despite renewed calls for the removal of this statue, including a petition signed by more than 5,000 signatures, the mayor, Bill de Blasio has indicated that he does not want to reverse its maintenance, decided in January 2018 by a committee specially formed to decide the fate of controversial monuments.
“The commission has done a very thorough job (..) and I think we must stick to its conclusions”, declared Mr. de Blasio, during a press point.
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After 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 on top of a 23-meter-high column in the “Columbus Circle” square.
The commission had decided to affix explanatory plaques on the history of Christopher Columbus on the square.
Thursday, the governor of New York Andrew Cuomo, who wants to be at the forefront of reforms against racism, also spoke in favor of the maintenance of this statue.
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“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.
In the wake of protests against racial inequalities sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, several statues of Christopher Columbus have recently been removed or vandalized, including in Boston, Miami and Richmond, Virginia. Another was debunked Thursday night in Camden, New Jersey.
In 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 strong communities of Italian origin, have kept it.
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