A statue of Christopher Columbus at Byrd Park, which is located in Richmond, Virginia and was dedicated back in 1927, was torn down and thrown into Landing at Fountain Lake. Images of the incident, which went down on Tuesday night, circulated on social media with many applauding the statue's removal. Protesters used ropes to tear down the statue, ABC 8 News reports. They then dragged the statue for about 200 yards to the aforementioned lake and tossed it in. The statue's removal occurred after a demonstration in support of indigenous people.
"This continent is built on the blood and the bones of our ancestors, but it is built off the backs and the sweat and the tears and the blood and the bones of Africans," Vanessa Bolin of the Richmond Indigenous Society said at the protest, perRichmond Times-Dispatch. "We’re not here to hijack your movement. We’re here to stand in solidarity."
In related news, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam recently announced that a statue of confederate general Robert E. Lee in Richmond will be removed. The move has since been temporarily blocked with a 10-day injunction by a judge in Richmond after resident William C. Gregory argued that it could possibly suffer "irreparable harm" if it's taken down.
"Governor Northam remains committed to removing this divisive symbol from Virginia's capital city, and we're confident in his authority to do so," Alena Yarmosky, a spokesperson for Gov. Ralph Northam, told CNN.
Check out some reactions (and jokes) to the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue below.
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