Vandals behead Christopher Columbus statue in Westchester

https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2...ving-christopher-columbus-from-marconi-plaza/

Judge Grants Emergency Motion Preventing Philadelphia From Moving Christopher Columbus Statue From Marconi Plaza
By CBS3 Staff
September 18, 2020 at 4:27 pm

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A city judge granted an emergency motion filed on behalf of Friends of Marconi Plaza as a court fight over a Christopher Columbus statue continues. The judge’s motion prohibits the City of Philadelphia from removing the statue of Columbus at Marconi Plaza while the group continues to pursue legal action.

Last month, the city’s Art Commission voted 8 to 1 in favor of removing the statue and placing it into storage.

The city said it has not yet attempted to move the statue because it needs time to plan.

Friends of Marconi Plaza is appealing any removal to the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court.
 
https://nypost.com/2020/10/12/city-of-syracuse-plans-to-remove-christopher-columbus-statue/

City of Syracuse plans to remove Christopher Columbus statue
By Bernadette Hogan
October 12, 2020 | 7:04pm

syracuse-columbus-50.jpg

A statue of Christopher Columbus in Syracuse.


The City of Syracuse plans to remove its Christopher Columbus statue and rename a surrounding plaza called Columbus Circle — leading to outrage by Italian-American groups.

Mayor Ben Walsh — an Independent — announced on Oct. 9 that the sculpture of the controversial explorer :rolleyes: would be canned after opposition from Native Americans and progressives :mad: led a special committee to call for its removal.

“I understand this decision has caused pain for some in our Italian American community, and I am sorry for that, but I truly believe this will ultimately bring our community closer together :rolleyes:,” Walsh said in making the announcement. :bow:

He added that he hopes “this decision will bring about healing for the Onondagas,” a local Native American tribe that called for the removal of the statue as a symbol of colonialism.

Italian Americans ripped the decision Monday during an annual wreath laying ceremony in front of the sculpture in observance of Columbus Day.

“I do feel hurt, not only personally but for the people that came before me. My parents, my grandparents. What they did here in Syracuse working in the factories, working as laborers to raise families,” lamented Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli (D-Syracuse) to the The Post via a phone interview following a speech at the ceremony.

“We’ve lost the understanding of what the older generations went through,” said Magnarelli.

The Columbus effigy will be taken down from the top of the monument, as well as the faces of four Native Americans and plaques surrounding the base of the statue depicting Columbus’ exploration into the New World, according to the Mayor’s office.

Walsh said in a missive Friday the site will be revamped in consultation with the Italian American community to continue to honor their heritage.

But Nick Pirro, former county executive and presently the vice president of the Columbus Monument Corp. which runs the annual Columbus Day celebration in Syracuse, told The Post they plan to explore legal action and has been in consultation with lawyers on how to proceed.

“We didn’t know until Friday what the mayor’s decision would be, we were surprised,” he said.

“It’s disrespectful to the Italian people of Syracuse and Onondaga County who went out with the blessing of the city, raised the money, worked hard to raise the money to pay for everything,” he added, noting the sculpture was erected in the 1930s and was made possible through local monetary contributions.

Pirro said he was a part of the action committee and offered several propositions to include other groups supporting the addition of Indigenous Peoples Day, but all were rejected.

The Onondaga Nation put out a statement over the summer saying they understood the need for the Italian American need to celebrate their history, but that Columbus was not the way to do it.

syracuse-columbus-52.jpg

A statue of Christopher Columbus in Syracuse, N.Y.


“Our own monuments, beautiful lakes, streams, rivers, and the earth itself, has suffered greatly as a direct result principle of the Doctrine of Discovery to which Columbus used to claim the lands in the name of the Spanish crown,” they said in a statement.

Betty Lyons, Onondaga and the head of the American Indian Law Alliance, also sat on the committee and told The Post in a statement: “There were long and sometimes contentious discussions and Mayor Walsh has made the correct decision and we appreciate it.” :mad:

The move still has to be approved by two additional bodies, the Syracuse Public Art Commission and the city’s Landmark Preservation Board, in addition to a review by the State Historic Park Office.

Several cities across the country have similarly removed statues of Columbus within the recent months and years — in July, Columbus, Ohio took down their namesake sculpture.

It’s also come as cities have begun to rename celebrations honoring indigenous people in lieu of Columbus’ memory and colonialism.
 
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2...s-statue-in-south-philadelphia-to-be-unboxed/

Judge Orders Christopher Columbus Statue In South Philadelphia To Be Unboxed
By CBS3 Staff
January 27, 2021 at 6:17 pm

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Some people were surprised to see the Christopher Columbus statue in South Philadelphia in full view on Wednesday. The city says a judge ordered the statue to be unboxed so it could be inspected by an expert for a legal team working to halt its removal.

Christopher-Columbus-box-open-AP-RAW-1-27-concatenated-110800_frame_1908.png

(credit: CBS3)


City officials say they still plan to remove the marble monument from Marconi Plaza.

That will happen once ongoing litigation is resolved.

The statue was the site of protests last summer.

Protesters argued that Columbus represents racism and oppression. Counterprotesters, some armed, gathered to protect the statute from vandalism.
 
Were the perps Black Lies Don't Matter or pantifa?
 
https://nypost.com/2021/04/18/f-k-columbus-graffiti-found-on-nyc-statue-after-barricades-removed/

‘F—k Columbus’ graffiti found on Manhattan statue after cop barricades removed

By Larry Celona and David Meyer
April 18, 2021 | 1:01pm | Updated

Vandals scrawled, “F–k Columbus” on the base of the monument of the explorer in Columbus Circle — weeks after the NYPD’s controversial barriers around it were removed, law-enforcement sources said Sunday.

The spray-painted obscenity was discovered by police about 10:30 p.m. Saturday, fewer than three weeks after cops had taken down the protective barricade they erected around the Manhattan statue last summer, sources said.

The NYPD had put metal barriers around the 75-foot Midtown monument and surrounding parkland after June’s anti-cop protests following the death of George Floyd, a black man, at the hands of a white Minnesota officer.

At the time, police sources identified the statue as a “known target” as protesters toppled other controversial monuments across the country and world.

But some New Yorkers griped that the barriers were overly intrusive, blocking off a needed green space in the city.

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A close-up of graffiti sprayed on a Christopher Columbus statue in Manhattan
Gabriella Bass


The NYPD quietly removed the controversial barricades sometime at the end of March, West Side Rag reported.

There were no officers in the immediate vicinity at the time of Saturday’s vandalism, sources said.
 
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2...statue-remain-south-philly-plaza-judge-rules/

Contentious Christopher Columbus Statue Allowed To Remain In South Philadelphia’s Marconi Plaza, Judge Rules
By CBS3 Staff
August 17, 2021 at 6:39 pm

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A Philadelphia judge ruled the contentious Christopher Columbus statue can stay at Marconi Plaza in South Philadelphia. Common Pleas Court Judge Paula Patrick made the ruling Tuesday.

She said the city’s decision to remove the statue last year was not supported by law and was based on insufficient evidence.

The City of Philadelphia says it’s disappointed in the decision and will explore all potential options, including an appeal.

The statue remains boxed up out of public view.

Last summer, the statue became a hotspot in the wake of George Floyd’s murder as protests against systemic racism and injustice swept the country.

Protesters and supporters of Columbus clashed, sometimes violently, at Marconi Plaza.

Some of those trying to protect the statue were seen holding bats and guns as they stood guard. :eek:
 
https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2...er-columbus-statue-can-stay-at-marconi-plaza/

Philadelphia Files Appeal Over Judge’s Order Christopher Columbus Statue Can Stay At Marconi Plaza
By CBS3 Staff
August 19, 2021 at 5:56 pm

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The City of Philadelphia has filed an appeal over a judge’s ruling on the Christopher Columbus statue at Marconi Plaza in South Philadelphia.

Common Pleas Court Judge Paula Patrick ruled Tuesday the city’s decision to remove the statue last year was based on insufficient evidence and not supported by law.

The statue remains boxed up and out of public view.

Last summer, the statue became a hotspot in the wake of George Floyd’s murder as protests against systemic racism and injustice swept the country.

Protesters and supporters of Columbus clashed, sometimes violently, at Marconi Plaza.

Some of those trying to protect the statue were seen holding bats and guns as they stood guard.
 



Christopher Columbus Statue At Penn’s Landing Staying Put Following Lawsuit Settlement​



By CBS3 StaffSeptember 14, 2021 at 9:35 pm








PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Christopher Columbus statue at Penn’s Landing will stay there, according to a lawsuit settled Tuesday night.
America 500 Anniversary Corporation and Delaware River Waterfront Corporation “resolved the litigation” involving the statue, according to a
The base of the statue has been covered up since last summer. That will now be removed as part of the settlement.
This is the second Columbus statue involved in discussion recently.
Last month, a judge ruled the city couldn’t remove the statue from Marconi Plaza in South Philadelphia. The city filed an appeal the next day.
 



Judge Orders Philadelphia To Uncover Contentious Christopher Columbus Statue At Marconi Plaza​



By CBS3 StaffOctober 8, 2021 at 3:50 pm



PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Philadelphia officials have been ordered to remove the wooden box covering up the Christopher Columbus statue at Marconi Plaza, a judge ruled Friday. Common Pleas Judge Paula Patrick ordered the city to remove the box and allow for a clear structure to be installed around it.
“We are delighted. Our entire organization is delighted. It comes on the eve on our most important day in the Italian American culture, which is to celebrate Columbus Day,” George Bochetto, an attorney for Friends of Marconi Plaza, said.
A city spokesperson told Eyewitness News the city is appealing the decision.
“We are immediately appealing this ruling. We cannot, and have no intention to, remove the box at this time,” the spokesperson said. “We continue to believe it is in the best interest and public safety of all Philadelphians that the statue remains secured in its box.”
Last summer, the statue became a hotspot in the wake of George Floyd’s murder as protests against systemic racism and injustice swept the country.


Credit: CBS3

Protesters and supporters of Columbus clashed, sometimes violently, at Marconi Plaza.
Some of those trying to protect the statue were seen holding bats and guns as they stood guard.
Patrick ruled in August the statue can remain in Marconi Plaza. She said then the city’s decision to remove the statue last year was not supported by law and was based on insufficient evidence. The city appealed the ruling.
The statue remains boxed up and out of public view.
 



Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Rules That Christopher Columbus Statue At Marconi Plaza Will Remain Boxed Up​



By CBS3 StaffOctober 10, 2021 at 12:30 am



PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Christopher Columbus Statue at Marconi Plaza will remain boxed up, Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court announced Saturday night. After a judge ordered Philadelphia officials to remove the box Friday, but the Pennsylvania court ruled in favor of the city’s appeal.


Mayor Jim Kenney released a statement on Twitter that he’s grateful the court took the time to review the important matter. He tweeted earlier that “removing the plywood covering during this holiday weekend would pose a serious public safety risk.”



A Columbus Day Parade is scheduled for Sunday, which will end at Marconi Plaza in South Philadelphia.
Last summer, the statue became a hotspot in the wake of George Floyd’s murder as protests against systemic racism and injustice swept the country.


Credit: CBS3

Protesters and supporters of Columbus clashed, sometimes violently, at Marconi Plaza.
Some of those trying to protect the statue were seen holding bats and guns as they stood guard.
Common Pleas Judge Paul Patrick ruled in August the statue can remain in Marconi Plaza. She said then the city’s decision to remove the statue last year was not supported by law and was based on insufficient evidence. The city appealed the ruling.
The statue remains boxed up and blocked off by yellow police tape. A police officer is posted next to it, and extra security measures are in place to keep the peace after the judge’s order.
Those who live in the area say they will continue to protect the statue because it represents who they are and their Italian-American heritage.
“It’s a gift to Italian Americans,” one South Philadelphia resident said. “It’s a gift to all of the people who dare to dream.”
“Christopher Columbus is our representative and it is vital to our heritage and we are going to defend it as much as we can,” George Bochetto, an attorney for Friends of Marconi Plaza, said.
 

AOC protégé Brittany Ramos DeBarros’ faces backlash after supporting the removal of Columbus statue​



By
Carl Campanile


May 1, 2022 5:27pm
Updated









Political ad for Brittany Ramos DeBarros running to represent NY 11 in congress






An Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez protégé running for Congress supports removing the Christopher Columbus statue from Columbus Circle — which may be a big problem for the district she wants to represent.
Brittany Ramos DeBarros is seeking to rep New York’s 11th Congressional District, which encompasses all of Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn — and is home to one of the largest Italian-American communities in the country.
“It’s not in my district, so it wouldn’t be a top priority for me in Congress. but I support removing [the Columbus monument in Columbus Circle] and I think it would be ideal to replace it with some kind of tribute to the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island or the Lenape people specifically,” DeBarros wrote in an endorsement questionnaire from the Jim Owles Liberal LGBT Democratic Club.
The club asked the question, among others, of political candidates seeking its endorsement.

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As with AOC, DeBarros, a military veteran, is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Brittany Ramos DeBarross is running in New York’s 11th Congressional District, which includes Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn and is home to a large Italian community.Facebook/Brittany DeBarros
DeBarros’s chief Democratic primary challenger is former Rep. Max Rose, who is seeking to reclaim his old seat after losing to Republican Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis in the 2020 general election.


“I don’t support removing the Columbus statue,” Rose told The Post on Sunday. “It’s crazy that we’re even talking about this.


“Let’s talk about getting inflation down and union membership up instead of talking about statues,” he added.

Columbus StatueDeBarros says she supports removing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle even though it’s not in her potential district. Getty Images/iStockphoto
The statue is one thing apparently Rose and even Malliotakis can agree on.


The incumbent also said DeBarros is out of step with constituents.


“The fact that Brittany Ramos DeBarros wants to remove the statue of Christopher Columbus from Columbus Circle is another example of woke politics run wild,” Malliotakis said.


Ocasio-Cortez also told the Democratic club that it’s time to cancel Columbus, the famous Italian explorer of the Americas who is also despised for brutalizing indigenous people.

Columbus CircleDeBarros says she would like to see the Christopher Columbus statue replaced with a tribute to the Lenape people. Getty Images/iStockphoto
“It is a decision that should be made by the community and I believe there is significant support for removing the statue from Columbus Circle,” wrote AOC, who represents parts of The Bronx and Queens, in the questionnaire.


But the head of a prominent local coalition of Italian-American groups slammed DeBarros for disregarding her Italian-American constituents, who revere Columbus as a symbol of Italian pride and culture.


“She’s offending the Italian-Americans in her district. Listen to your constituents!” said Angelo Vivolo, president of the Columbus Heritage Coalition and former chairman of the Columbus Citizens Foundation that runs the annual Columbus Day Parade, to The Post.

DeBarros is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Facebook/Brittany DeBarros
Vivolo last week rapped state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi (D-Bronx), a fellow Italian-American running for Congress, for wanting to cancel Columbus. Biaggi said there are other Italian heroes who are better representatives to celebrate than Columbus.


Others politicians who told the Jim Owles club they supported or were open to the removal of the Columbus monument include: Reps. Grace Meng and Hakeem Jeffries; city Public Advocate and gubernatorial candidate Jumaane Williams, his running mate for lieutenant governor Ana Maria Archila; state Sens. Jessica Ramos, Gustavo Rivera, Julia Salazar, Brad Hoylman and Jose Serrano, and Assembly members Harvey Epstein, Maritza Davia, Zohran Mamdani, Kenny Burgos and Emily Gallagher.


But Queens Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman said she is opposed to erasing Columbus from the public square.

Brittany Ramos DeBarrosAngelo Vivolo, president of the Columbus Heritage Coalition, said DeBarros is offending Italians. Facebook//britt4congress
“I know my opinion is probably in the minority, but these statues of oppressors need to remain and have accurate titles put next to them of the atrocities they committed to indigenous peoples. I don’t feel we should erase history — we should learn the correct history and put other statues alongside those of the oppressors,” Hyndman said.


Gov. Kathy Hochul danced around the question in her answer to the club, headed by Allen Roskoff.


“While Governor Hochul believes New York’s rich Italian community should be recognized, it is important to also celebrate Indigenous peoples and their place in history while recognizing the scars left by their unjust treatment,” her campaign said in the questionnaire.

Brittany Ramos DeBarrosDeBarros is a military veteran. Facebook/Brittany DeBarros
“In 2021, for the first time in state history, Governor Hochul signed a proclamation recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and she will continue taking action to build foundations of trust across communities.”


Rep. Tom Suozzi, who is challenging Hochul in the Democratic primary, and his running mate for lieutenant governor, former Brooklyn Councilwoman Diana Reyna, said they oppose removing the Columbus statue.


Either way, the debate could be moot.


The Columbus monument has been designated a historical landmark by the state and federal government.


But controversies still rage around other statues and namings.


As The Post recently reported, the growing cancel-culture club even supports striking former three-term Mayor Ed Koch’s name from the 59th Street/Queensboro bridge connecting Manhattan and Queens, alleging he did not do enough to combat the AIDS crisis in the city when in power.
 








NYPD pulls 24/7 security on famed Columbus statues​



By
Rich Calder and

Larry Celona


May 21, 2022 9:00am
Updated





The statues have been under heavy guard since summer 2020.
The statues have been under heavy guard since summer 2020. Christopher Sadowski






They might be tall and Italian like Bill de Blasio, but Big Apple monuments honoring Christopher Columbus are longer getting round-the-clock police protection like the former mayor.
The NYPD has quietly stopped its years-long practice of providing 24/7 bodyguard service for bronze sculptures in Manhattan’s Columbus Circle and Central Park honoring the famed but controversial explorer, sources said.
Instead, it’s keeping tabs on the famed monuments – which have become popular targets of vandals the past five years — through newly installed security cameras and routine checks by local precincts, sources added.
The statues had predominately been under heavy guard since the summer of 2020 when nationwide protests over police brutality following the death of George Floyd in Minnesota sparked renewed hatred against monuments honoring historical figures like Columbus who’ve been accused of oppressive acts.
NYPD posted outside the Columbus Circle statue.NYPD posted outside the Columbus Circle statue.Robert Miller
In 2017, the NYPD began devoting key resources to protecting the two statues and three others citywide honoring Columbus.
At the time, many Italian-American leaders who believed progressives were trying to scrub Columbus’ accomplishments from the history books were also at war with de Blasio for appointing a commission to review the fate of the city’s potentially offensive monuments. Although the Columbus statues were spared, they’ve continued to remain targets of vandals.
The NYPD did not immediately respond to questions about why it pulled the police detail assigned to the monuments, but sources said the department would continue to periodically evaluate its security measures.
NYPD did not respond to questions about why it pulled the detail.NYPD did not respond to questions about why it pulled the detail.Robert Miller
Councilman Joe Borelli (R-Staten Island), a longtime proponent for keeping the Columbus monuments under police watch, told The Post he’s okay with the NYPD’s decision but believes it might wind up being only temporary.

What do you think? Post a comment.

“It’s fine,” he said. “But I imagine as soon as one kooky lefty tweets something” inciting potential vandalism “the police will need to return.”



 



Box that encloses Christopher Columbus Statue in Marconi Plaza gets new look​


philadelphia
By CBS3 Staff

October 9, 2022 / 10:38 PM / CBS Philadelphia




PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- On Monday, the city of Philadelphia will celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day. And the box that encloses the Christopher Columbus Statue in Marconi Plaza has a new look.
It has a coat of red, white and green paint.
And reports from KYW Newsradio say it was at the request of Councilman Mark Squilla.
The statue was a point of controversy two years ago, prompting the city to remove it from the park.
 





Philadelphia commemorates Indigenous Peoples Day, keeps Columbus statue covered​


philadelphia
By Jasmine Payoute, Joe Holden

October 10, 2022 / 7:22 PM / CBS Philadelphia




PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The City of Philadelphia on Monday commemorated Indigenous Peoples Day. Philadelphia has tried to reframe the annual celebration and no longer recognizes the day as Columbus Day but rather Indigenous Peoples Day.

At Penn Treaty Park in Fishtown, the celebration for Indigenous Peoples Day kicked off around noon.

There are vendors, children on field trips and several other members of the community.

Organizers say they want Monday to be a reminder of this country's history and the contributions of Indigenous peoples.

Last year, Mayor Jim Kenney declared that the holiday, formerly called Columbus Day, would be known as Indigenous Peoples Day in Philadelphia.


"It's still relatively new, I think, to some people, even though it's not to us, but to others," Jeanie Hill at Penn Treaty Park said. "But the more we get out and, you know, have the community sort of observe, you know, and participate in activities such as this I think it's good for future healing."

What's getting a lot of attention in South Philadelphia is the new look of the plywood box hiding the controversial statue of Christopher Columbus.

There's been a lot of controversy surrounding this statue. A box has been covering it for about two and a half years now, but it now does look a little different.

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According to reports, city officials painted it in red, white and green in support of Italian heritage.


City officials say the paint job was done at the request of district Councilman Mark Squilla.

"When we looked to try and paint the box here, there was graffiti on it, it was blighted," Squilla said, "and we said, you know can we just cover the graffiti up from that box?"

The future of the statue is a toss-up and remains at the center of a legal battle between the city and the Friends of Marconi Plaza.

The statue became a hotspot in 2020 as protests began in the wake of George Floyd's murder.

The city wants to remove the 145-year-old statue, but some Italian Americans want it to stay. They see the statue as a source of pride, while opponents call it a divisive reminder of the past.

Residents call the new look of the box "middle ground."

"I looked at it, couple days ago, and this is so sad," Joe Civitillo, a South Philadelphia resident, said. "Just to see this boarded-up thing. I'm Italian American and I am proud of that. There is things people don't like about Christopher Columbus, but that's in the past. But this was a good compromise to put the flag up."


"We always celebrated Columbus as the man who discovered America," Rob Pino in South Philadelphia said. "I know there's claims that he did a lot of things with Native Americans and they probably could be true, but that's not what we celebrate here. We celebrate the fact he did discover America and he's a flawed human being just like the rest of us."

Other residents say that the box was put up for a reason and that the box is just further fueling division in a diversifying neighborhood.

Squilla contends the city created unnecessary tension when declaring the day Indigenous Peoples Day

"Why would you take that day away from a group of people and then give it to another group of people," Squilla said, "and to think that elect officials think that's OK to do is really insulting."
 


Court rules to remove plywood box covering Columbus statue​


philadelphia
By Andreas Copes

December 9, 2022 / 2:49 PM / CBS Philadelphia





PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled to remove the plywood structure covering the Christopher Columbus statue in South Philadelphia on Friday. The statue became a point of contention for residents in the wake of George Floyd's murder as protests against systemic racism and injustice swept the country.

The City of Philadelphia appealed a ruling allowing the City's Board of License and Inspection Review to remove the box. The court ruled against the city.

Supporters of the statue argue it's a symbol of the community's Italian heritage.

"This is, you know, a true victory, not just for Italian-Americans, this is a true victory for all ethnic groups," George Bochetto, attorney, said.

The city released a statement in which they say:

We are very disappointed in the Court's ruling. We continue to believe that the Christopher Columbus statue ( … ) should be removed from its current position at Marconi Plaza.
In October, the plywood box received a makeover in green, white and red as a possible compromise for the Italian community.


 



Box removed from Christopher Columbus statue in South Philadelphia​


philadelphia
By Ross DiMattei

December 12, 2022 / 10:01 AM / CBS Philadelphia





PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Christopher Columbus statue in South Philadelphia now stands uncovered on Monday. The statue spent the last two years boxed up, but that's all changed because of a recent ruling from a Pennsylvania court.

Now that the box is removed, it could spark protests in Marconi Plaza similar to what we saw in the summer of 2020.

City crews took down the box covering the Columbus Statue in Marconi Plaza on Sunday night.

It comes after a commonwealth court judge ruled on Friday the plywood structure must be removed.

In her ruling, judge Mary Hannah Leavitt said the city accepted the donation of the Columbus statue in 1876, and it has a fiduciary duty to preserve it. She went on to say the statue is not city property in the same way a city snowblower is, and if the city disagrees with the message the statue sends, it can add its own plaque with what it wants to convey.


After the box was taken down, a supporter of the statue says it's a symbol of his heritage and critics weren't willing to consider that.

"They don't want to sit down and talk," Michael Vasos said. "They'd rather stand and protest and yell and scream, and nothing gets solved by yelling and screaming. We're not bad people. But when you attack our statues and put boxes around it, now you're bringing the fight to us and we're not going to stand and let that happen to us. We're going to stand up for ourselves."

Mayor Jim Kenney ordered the statue be removed in June of 2020 following the nationwide George Floyd protests over racial injustice, calling it a matter of public safety.

Critics of Columbus argue he doesn't deserve a statue since he had a history of enslaving and killing indigenous people.


Supporters of the statue celebrated the court's decision, saying it's a symbol of the community's Italian heritage.

Following Friday's ruling that the box around the statue must come down, a city spokesperson said in a statement: "We are very disappointed in the court's ruling. We continue to believe that the Christopher Columbus statue should be removed from its current position at Marconi Plaza."

There's no word yet on whether the city will continue the legal fight in court.
 

Dismissal of lawsuit over Columbus Day name change upheld​


philadelphia
January 28, 2023 / 2:33 PM / AP







PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court's dismissal of a lawsuit alleging that Mayor Jim "Banana Nose" Kenney discriminated against Italian Americans in renaming the city's Columbus Day holiday to Indigenous Peoples' Day.

A U.S. District judge ruled a year ago that the plaintiffs, a council member and three Italian American heritage groups, hadn't been harmed by Kenney's executive order, and therefore none of them had standing to sue over the issue.

Judge David Porter, writing for the three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday, said the government "does not violate the Equal Protection Clause every time it affirms or celebrates an ethnicity. Otherwise, Columbus Day itself would arguably have been an equal protection violation — but of course, it wasn't."

As it stands, "Irish American city employees who wish to celebrate St. Patrick must take a personal day," and the city doesn't close for Yom Kippur or give time off for the Lunar New Year, the court said.

The plaintiffs might have a case if the city celebrated every ethnicity but "conspicuously excluded" Italian Americans, but not from selective celebration of particular ethnicities alone, the court said. For plaintiffs seeking redress for such an "offense," the court said, "their remedy is political, not legal."


Attorney George Bochetto, who filed the lawsuit, told The Philadelphia Inquirer in an email Friday evening that the plaintiffs are disappointed but he has "every intention" of appealing the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Many Italian Americans have embraced the 15th-century explorer — once hailed as the discoverer of America — as a cultural hero and emblem of the city's deep Italian heritage. Kenney has said that despite centuries of veneration, Columbus had a "much more infamous" history, enslaving Indigenous people and imposing harsh punishments.

Bochetto's lawsuit on the holiday argued there was a pattern of the city targeting Italian Americans, citing attempts to cover and remove a Columbus statue in South Philadelphia and removal of a statue of ex-mayor and police commissioner Frank Rizzo at the municipal services building near City Hall after it became a target for protests.

Bochetto won a separate lawsuit against the city last month when a state court ordered the removal of a box covering the South Philadelphia Columbus statue. The statue, which dates to 1876 and was presented to the city by the Italian American community to commemorate the nation's centennial, was covered in June 2020 after it became a focus of racial justice protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.


Kenney argued for removal of the statue as a matter of public safety, and a city arts panel and a historical commission agreed, but a judge reversed the city's decision, citing a lack of evidence that the statue's removal was necessary to protect the public. Before its removal, the box covering the statue had been painted in green, white and red bands, mirroring the Italian flag, at the request of the city council member who represents the district.


 

Vandals spray-paint ‘Murderer’ on Central Park Columbus statue​



By
Steve Janoski and

Tina Moore


February 27, 2023 2:50pm
Updated





Vandals doused the statue of Christopher Columbus in Central Park with red paint and scrawled “Murderer” across its stone pedestal, police said Monday.
Detectives have a video of two people — possibly a man and a woman — defacing the statue at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday with spray paint, an NYPD spokesperson said
The pair wrote “land back” on three sides of the bronze-and-granite statue and “Murderer” on another, police said.
There’ve been no arrests, but the NYPD is investigating the incident. If caught, the spray-paint artists will likely be charged with vandalism and making graffiti, the spokesperson said.
Metal barricades surrounded the 131-year-old statute Monday morning, Fox News said.

A statue of Christopher Columbus in Central Park, New York after vandals defaced it Sunday night.
Vandals scrawled “Murderer” on the statue of Christopher Columbus in Central Park on Sunday night, police said. Jennifer Mitchell for Fox News Digital
The attack is part of a long string of vandalism that’s hit monuments to the famed but controversial explorer over the years: Sculptures in New York as well as in New Jersey, Boston, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Minnesota have all been defaced or outright destroyed at different times.


Some view the statues as symbols of Italian American pride and say they highlight Italians’ contributions to America. Others view Columbus in a different light, and say he was a murderer and colonizer who treated Native Americans brutally when he stumbled upon the continent in 1492.

The statue as been spray painted with the words, Murderer and Land Back as well as the base of the statue itself covered in red.
Police said vandals spray-painted the statue Sunday night. They also wrote “Land back” on three sides.Jennifer Mitchell for Fox News Digital
The NYPD began heavily guarding monuments in Manhattan’s Columbus Circle and Central Park during the summer of 2020, when mass protests against police brutality following the death of George Floyd sparked simultaneous complaints about other historical figures who’ve been accused of oppressive acts.


Cops began conspicuously patrolling the areas after five Confederate statues were beheaded, damaged or pulled down — including one that hit a vandal in the head as it fell — in Virginia during the Floyd protests.

The Columbus statue in Central Park with the word murderer spray painted on the front.
Police began patrolling the statues after the George Floyd protests in 2020, but canceled it in 2022.Jennifer Mitchell for Fox News Digital
The NYPD reacted similarly to complaints about the monument in 2017, posting one or two officers at the Columbus Circle site around the clock ahead of Columbus’ namesake holiday in October.


Police halted the 24/7 bodyguard service in the spring of 2022. But the NYPD kept up routine patrols and installed security cameras to keep tabs on them.


Still, the statues continued to attract controversy.


Last April, the head of New York’s Italian American groups hit then-Democratic state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi for saying the Columbus Circle monument should come down in favor of “better representations of our wonderful contributions to this country.”

The Columbus statue with land back spray painted on the granite base.
The statues have attracted controversy for years, mostly because of Columbus’ reputation for brutality to the Native American people he found on the continent.Jennifer Mitchell for Fox News Digital
“Senator, it is time to drop the hate and seek the truth,” Angelo Vivolo, president of the Columbus Heritage Coalition, wrote in an open letter after Biaggi’s comments.


“I hope you realize what it means to represent all the people respectfully. When you offend one culture, you offend all.”





The New Yorkers of the New York Genealogical Society commissioned Spanish sculptor Jeronimo Sunol to complete the statue, Fox said. It was dedicated May 12, 1892, according to the city parks website.
 
In a nutshell, Columbus was ferrying unconverted militant jews out of Spain after the Queen expelled them en masse, Columbus dropped jews off everywhere. In thinking about it, on Columbus statues, and Confederate statues (many jewish confederate cemeteries never get attacked) the jews are probably trying to erase offensive history of jews and slavery. Walter White wrote his book on research of jews behind slavery, Walter was NAACP & an octaroon, I believe he got ahold of Elizabeth Donnen books on slave history. People are finding out, it is a dishonest cruel distraction & probably behind a lot of the constant anti White rhetoric in media.
Orwellian prophecies. Not to mention the jewish DeWolf, Wolf family top slave breeders/sellers up in Rhode Island, they run classes on it.
Columbus was how Haiti & Cuba, other islands got their jews in 1492, as well as Chile, Brazil, Surinam, etc. For what it's worth, the Australian aborigines claiming to be jews have Sephardi blood because the Sephardi explorers were the only degenerate ones who would mate with them, no one else did or would. Pirates of the Caribbean have been proven to be Sephardi Jews & possibly Hasidic, nasty foul cruel bunch.
Porn Ron Jeremy & Harvey Weinstein is who I picture as Sephardi, head of UN Guiterrez is Sephardi.
End rant.
 
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