MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (AP) - A statue of Christopher Columbus was temporarily removed from a Connecticut park over the weekend in preparation for construction work, but officials are considering making the move permanent amid debate nationally over the explorer’s legacy.
The Columbus statue in Middletown’s Harbor Park was removed Saturday. Now city leaders are discussing whether it should be displayed in a public park going forward or possibly moved to private property, Mayor Ben Florsheim said Sunday on Facebook.
“The fraught debate over Christopher Columbus’s legacy is one that’s important to have in Middletown,” Florsheim wrote. He said he has received many calls and messages from residents noting that Columbus statues are being taken down in other cities and that they’d like Middletown’s removed as well. Others have told him they want to keep the statue because it represents their own families’ history.
While some want to honor Columbus’ historical contribution as an explorer, others view him as a symbol of conquest and subjugation of indigenous people.
In recent days, Columbus statues have been vandalized in Providence, Boston and other cities. The future of a statue recently removed in New London, Connecticut, to protect it from vandalism will be discussed at Monday’s city council meeting.
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