A statue depicting a former mayor and police commissioner of Philadelphia has been removed.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney signed an order on Tuesday to remove a bronze statue of Frank Rizzo, the controversial mayor of the city in the 1970s, from a municipal building across from City Hall amid continued protests over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody last week.
“The continued display of the statue has understandably enraged and hurt many Philadelphians, including those protesting the heinous murders of George Floyd and too many others. I have seen and heard their anguish. This statue now no longer stands in front of a building that serves all Philadelphians,” Kenney said.
The 10-foot-tall statue of Rizzo, which has been defaced multiple times in the past, was installed in 1999 as a gift to the city from family and supporters. Critics have said Rizzo enacted racist policies toward black residents and have accused him of embracing police brutality during his time as police commissioner.
The Philadelphia Inquirer won a Pulitzer Prize in 1978 for a project that documented a pattern of police violence under Rizzo’s supervision. He also vehemently opposed desegregating public schools.
Rizzo was a Democrat for most of his time as mayor of the city but changed his party affiliation to Republican in 1986, winning the Republican nomination in 1991 during his attempt to run for a third term as mayor. However, he died of a heart attack before the election.
“The statue is a deplorable monument to racism, bigotry, and police brutality for members of the black community, the LGBTQ community, and many others. The treatment of these communities under Mr. Rizzo’s leadership was among the worst periods in Philadelphia’s history,” Kenney said. “We now need to work for true equity for all Philadelphia residents and toward healing our communities. The removal of this statue today is but a small step in that process.”
Kenney previously planned to have the statue removed over the course of a few months but accelerated the removal amid the Floyd protests.
