In Statue of Christopher Columbus (North End, Boston), how is the Vandalism and removal of the History elucidated?
In the 2000s, the statue suffered vandalism such as being spray painted with the word "murderer." In June 2006, the statue was decapitated in an apparent prank; the head was later located elsewhere in the North End. In 2004 and 2006, the statue was covered in red paint. After the latter incident an anti-colonialist manifesto was posted to the Independent Media Center website, taking responsibility for the act. In 2015, the white marble statue was vandalized with red paint and the phrase "Black Lives Matter."In June 2020, the statue was beheaded and subsequently removed. Mayor Marty Walsh announced that the statue would remain off display and that the city would "take time to assess the historic meaning of the statue." Its future was deemed uncertain after it was put in storage. An Italian American group in Massachusetts called for the statue to be removed, saying that "Columbus can't represent us as Italian Americans anymore."In October 2020, Mayor Walsh announced that the statue would be moved to a North Margin Street affordable housing development under construction by the Knights of Columbus. Walsh also announced that a sculpture “highlighting the Italian immigrants of the North End,” would take the place of the Columbus statue.
Italian Americans Marty Walsh Black Lives Matter Knights of Columbus Independent Media Center North End Massachusetts