A statue of Christopher Columbus in Chicago, the backdrop of heated clashes between protesters and police, has been taken down at the order of Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Two cranes showed up to take the statue, which was located in Grant Park, in the early hours Friday morning, according to Fox 32. Crews got to the scene shortly before 2 a.m., and the statue was removed at about 3 a.m.
The mayor’s office issued a statement saying the statue was “temporarily removed … until further notice,” according to the Chicago Tribune.
“This step is about an effort to protect public safety and to preserve a safe space for an inclusive and democratic public dialogue about our city’s symbols,” the statement said. “In addition, our public safety resources must be concentrated where they are most needed throughout the city, and particularly in our South and West Side communities.”
Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara was involved in confrontations hours earlier. He talked to law enforcement officers, criticized the mayor, and got into sometimes heated debates about the statue.
“This statue coming down is because of the effort of black and Indigenous activists who know the true history of Columbus and what he represents,” Stefan Cuevas-Caizaguano, a resident watching the removal, told the local affiliate.
Protesters attempted to take the statue down themselves last week, similar to what happened in cities across the country. Protesters and law enforcement clashed then too, and there were at least 20 complaints of police brutality filed against officers from that incident.
Activists across the country have sought to bring down statues that are dedicated to Confederate officials or those who supported slavery. Some additional American icons, including George Washington, have also been targeted during this time.
