COLUMBUS – The statue of Christopher Columbus, which has stood in front of City Hall for 65 years, was hauled away in the early-morning hours of Wednesday.
Crews removed the statue on the Broad Street side of City Hall and it will be placed in safekeeping at a secure city facility, according to a release from the office of mayor Andrew Ginther, who was among local officials calling for removal of the statue of the explorer.
The Christopher Columbus statue was a gift from the people of Genoa, Italy, in 1955.
Monuments to Confederates and other historical figures who repressed or oppressed other people are being dismantled across the country. Columbus has been accused of committing genocide and exploiting Native Americans after he landed in the Caribbean in 1492.
Ginther asked the Columbus Art Commission to determine how to best replace the statue and to reexamine all public art in the city, including other monuments, statues and art installations, and the artists, in the light of inclusion and diversity.
The Commission has also been asked to study other symbols associated with the city, including the seal and flag, and to make recommendations for change.