A statue of Christopher Columbus in Richmond was torn down by protesters, set on fire and then thrown into a lake.
The city’s parks department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the fallen statue from the Associated Press.
Earlier during the day, Activist Chelsea Higgs-Wise and other protesters spoke to a crowd gathered at Byrd Park about the struggles of indigenous people and African-Americans in America. “We have to start where it all began,” Higgs-Wise said during her speech. “We have to start with the people who stood first on this land.”
The Columbus statue was dedicated in Richmond in December 1927, and had been the first statue of Christopher Columbus erected in the South, the newspaper reported. Its toppling comes amid national protests over the death of George Floyd and several days after a statue of Confederate Gen. Williams Carter Wickham was pulled from its pedestal in Monroe Park by demonstrators who also used ropes to tear it down.
Native American advocates have also long pressed states to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day over concerns that Columbus spurred centuries of genocide against indigenous populations in the Americas. Vanessa Bolin, a member of the Richmond Indigenous Society, told the crowd she did not come “to hijack” the protests against police brutality, but to “stand in solidarity” with the people. Another speaker, Joseph Rogers, declared the area “Powhatan land,” and talked about how white supremacy and institutionalized racism has impacted both groups.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The future of flying: Face masks, health checks and long check-ins
Read more »
Hong Kong seethes one year on, but protesters on the back foot
Read more »
Nigerian women are taking to the streets in protests against rape and sexual violenceProtesters have taken to the streets in cities across Nigeria to demand urgent action to combat rape and sexual violence against women.
Read more »
Anniversary protests as Hong Kong democracy movement faces triple threat(UPDATED) A year later, protesters are on the back foot with Beijing planning to impose a sweeping law banning subversion, secession, terrorism, and foreign interference
Read more »