In the wake of George Floyd’s death, statues of Christopher Columbus were damaged in Minnesota, Boston and Richmond, Va., as angry protesters continued to direct some of their frustration toward monuments, including Confederate statues, that they consider to be symbols of racism.
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney responded to the recent incidents on Twitter, saying that “the atrocities inflicted upon Indigenous people by Christopher Columbus are unconscionable.” He added that the city began celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day rather than Columbus Day last year.
“But the decision & action to remove a monument should be made in collaboration w/ the community,” he wrote. “Working with Richmond’s History and Culture Commission, we are establishing a process by which Richmonders can advocate for change to the figures we place on public pedestals across our city in a legal and peaceful way.”
Photo: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
