Christopher Columbus Statue In Baltimore amongst the latest toppled statues in the US
Protesters in Baltimore toppled a statue of Christopher Columbus before dumping its shattered pieces into the Inner Harbor on Saturday, the day after President Trump denounced the removal of monuments and signed an executive order to create a garden of “American Heroes” in response to fallen statues.
WATCH: Protesters in Baltimore’s Little Italy pulled down a statue of Christopher Columbus earlier this evening. (🎥 | Baltimore Brew & Louis Krauss)
FULL STORY: https://t.co/BURmDbHtxM pic.twitter.com/u9pgq9ChcK
— ABC 7 News – WJLA (@ABC7News) July 5, 2020
Around 300 people were said to be at the scene on Saturday, Louis Krauss, who shared the recording, told CNN.
Video shows protesters pulling the statue down using chains, while it broke into pieces as it hit the ground before it was thrown, piece by piece, into the harbor.
The statue is the latest to come down following four weeks of anti-racism protesters across the U.S. and Europe targeting monuments of controversial and racist historical figures.
The Columbus statue in Little Italy was unveiled by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 , while President of Baltimore City Council, Brendan Scott, previously proposed taking it down.
The Italian explorer is credited as one of the first Europeans to come to the Americas and also associated with starting off centuries of European colonization and the oppression of indigenous people.
Other monuments that have been targeted by protesters include former President Andrew Jackson, Confederate General, Robert Lee, and Confederate President, Jefferson Davis.
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