Box covering statue of Christopher Columbus in Philly is removed after judge ruled against mayor

The city of Philadelphia has removed the plywood box that had been placed over a statue of Christopher Columbus, after a judge ruled against the mayor’s wishes for the monument to be taken away after 2020 protests over racial injustice. 

 In her ruling, Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt said that if the city disagrees with the ‘message’ the statue sends, it can add its own plaque with what it wants to convey.

‘More to the point, the City accepted the donation of the Columbus statue in 1876. It has a fiduciary duty to preserve that statue, which it designated an historic object in 2017. The Columbus statue is not City property as is, for example, a City snowblower,’ the judge wrote.

Kevin Lessard, spokesman for Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney, said the ruling disappointed officials but the city will respect the judge’s decision. On Sunday night, city workers were seen removing the plywood box.

The city of Philadelphia has removed a plywood box covering a statue of 15th century Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, after a judge ruled against the mayor’s demands for the monument to be taken away following 2020 Black Lives Matter protests

The white statue is located in Marconi Park, which is named to recognize the 20th-century cultural identity in Philadelphia of the surround Italian American enclave neighborhood and became the designation location of the annual Columbus Day Parade

‘We will also continue to explore our options for a way forward that allows Philadelphians to celebrate their heritage and culture while respecting the histories and circumstances of everyone’s different backgrounds,’ Lessard said via email. 

The statue has been the subject of a long-running dispute between the city and the Friends of Marconi Plaza, where the likeness stands. 

It dates to 1876 and was presented to the city by the Italian-American community to commemorate the nation’s centennial, according to the 16-page ruling from the state’s Commonwealth Court.  

Supporters say they consider Columbus an emblem of the deep Italian heritage in the city. 

Kenney has said Columbus was venerated for centuries as an explorer but had a ‘much more infamous’ history, enslaving Indigenous people and imposing punishments such as severing limbs or even death. 

Mayor of Philadelphia Jim Kenney ordered the statue’s removal, calling it a matter of public safety in 2020 after protests over racial injustice

A city worker measures the statue of Christopher Columbus at Marconi Plaza in Philadelphia, in June 2020, shortly before the plywood box was added to cover it

Judge Mary Leavitt said in her ruling that the city ‘accepted the donation of the Columbus statue in 1876. It has a fiduciary duty to preserve that statue, which it designated an historic object in 2017. The Columbus statue is not City property’

After protests about racial injustice began in June 2020 and some of them focused on the statue, Kenney ordered its removal, calling it a matter of public safety. 

But last year a judge reversed the city’s decision, however, saying it had failed to provide evidence that the statue’s removal was necessary to protect the public. 

The box covering the statue has been painted in green, white and red bands, mirroring the Italian flag, at the request of the city council member who represents the district. 

While Kenny has prioritized social harmony, crime has surged in the City of Brotherly Love over the last handful of years, including a 22.9 percent rise year-over-year in the total of number of crimes. 

Violent crime as a whole is up about three percent year-to-date though the homicide rate has dropped 9.9 percent since 2021, the general trend over the last handful of years has been a steep climb.

The number of reported robberies has also skyrocketed 31.5 percent. Furthermore, the number of aggravated assault victims has ticked up 5.1 percent since this time last year. 

In total, there have been 14,264 violent criminal offenses reported to the Philadelphia Police in 2022. 

Earlier this year, Philadelphia police appealed to the city’s mayor that they ‘can’t keep up’ with the rapidly rising homicide rate, and the mayor signed an order last month that bans citizens from carrying guns in public places like parks and schools.

The crisis of lawlessness in Philadelphia has become so dire that the city’s District Attorney, progressive Larry Krasner, is currently facing an impeachment trial.

Earlier this month, state legislators voted to impeach Krasner over progressive policies that have contributed to the vast rise in crime in Philadelphia.