Christopher Columbus statues in 2 cities destroyed
Two statues of Christopher Columbus, one in Richmond, Va., and the other in Boston, were destroyed by protestors overnight. In Richmond, numerous videos of the incident show demonstrators pulling the statue down with ropes, lighting it ablaze and dragging it into a nearby lake. In Boston authorities are still seeking suspects who beheaded the statue. Christopher Columbus has traditionally been a celebrated figure in American history, but his record has come under fire in recent decades due to his violence against indigenous people. Ongoing protests for racial equality following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor have included similar actions against statues of Confederate leaders in the United States and a prominent slave trader in the U.K.
Video Transcript
- The statue of Christopher Columbus in Richmond was torn down by protesters, set on fire, and then submerged in the lake.
[SHOUTING, CHEERING]
- Let's do this!
- Woo!
- Let's go!
- [INAUDIBLE] please. Richmond, what a time to be alive, baby! What a time to be alive.
- Get out [INAUDIBLE].
- Breaking overnight, a statue of Christopher Columbus has been beheaded in Boston.
- Let's take you right to it. There is the statue with the head knocked off right here in Christopher Columbus Park in the North End. And now, police are trying to figure out who did it.
- Christopher Columbus is credited with discovering America. A national holiday is named in his honor. But his story is controversial for his violent treatment and killings of Native Americans. Many Native Americans have denounced Columbus as a racist. And now, many cities and towns across the country and here in Massachusetts have rejected the holiday and instead, celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day.
