Protestors in Baltimore commemorated Independence Day on Saturday by knocking over a statue of Christopher Columbus and tossing it in the Inner Harbor.
The statue has stood in the city’s Little Italy neighborhood for over 30 years and is the most recent statue to be toppled amid ongoing protests across the U.S. Over the past few weeks, demonstrators and local governments have taken down memorials to Columbus, Confederate leaders, and various questionable statues that echoes America's racist history.
CNN reports that there were at least 300 people present during the statue’s removal on Saturday. “After it toppled over the statue broke into several pieces, which were then dragged across the plaza and dumped into the Inner Harbor,” Louis Krauss, who shared a video of the scene, told the outlet.
Baltimore City Council President Brandon Scott shared a statement that he had previously recommended that the statue be taken down. “I support Baltimore's Italian-American community and Baltimore's indigenous community,” his release said. “I cannot, however, support Columbus.”
According to TMZ, Baltimore Mayor Bernard Young was empathetic with the crowd's actions, his spokesperson saying, “We understand the dynamics that are playing out in Baltimore are part of a national narrative.”
In June, Trump threatened to jail people who vandalize or destroy statues with up to 10 years in prison. He issued his warning after protestors tried to topple a statue of Andrew Jackson near the White House late last month.
So far, Columbus statues have been either pulled down or vandalized in Miami, Richmond, St. Paul, and Boston.
