Christopher Columbus Statues Torn Down in US Cities (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Protesters tore down a statue of Christopher Columbus Wednesday outside the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota and in Camden's Farnham Park in New Jersey on Thursday night.
According to local station KSTP, the American Indian Movement (AIM) organized the rally.
The station reports that state officials were aware the rally had been planned, but they hoped the situation could be resolved peacefully.
KSTP reports that law enforcement was on the scene but did not intervene to prevent the statue from coming down.
The station says the bronze statue was gifted to the state by Italian-Americans and has stood at the State Capitol since 1931.
Another one of the Christopher Columbus statues also has been removed from Camden's Farnham Park in New Jersey on Thursday night as the statue was laid onto a flatbed truck.
The city issued a statement saying the removal of the statue was long overdue.
Protesters say Columbus' exploration shouldn't be idolized because it led to the massacre and forced migration of Native Americans.
On Thursday night, protesters blocked the truck from moving, upset the statue was taken down before a planned demonstration this weekend.
The Columbus statue later ended up on the ground in pieces.
