WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) — A statue of Christopher Columbus in Waterbury has been decapitated amid protests over racial injustice and the legacy of the 15th-century navigator.
The Republican-American reports that photos shot Saturday show the headless statue outside Waterbury’s City Hall.
The statue had been the focus of a standoff earlier in the week between its supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters who wanted it removed.
Several Columbus statues in Connecticut have been removed in recent weeks as anti-racism protesters have argued that the renowned explorer was responsible for the exploitation and genocide of Indigenous people.
Crews removed a Columbus statue from its pedestal in Hartford on Monday, and city leaders said it would be placed in storage until a decision is made on what to do with it.
The Waterbury statue was donated to the city in the 1980s by UNICO, an Italian American organization.
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