![]() Already, Columbus statues have been torn down by protesters in St. Meanwhile, New York's local ABC affiliate WABC-TV reported on Thursday that the New York Police Department is on guard at Columbus Circle, as protests continue across the city in the wake of the death of George Floyd. As an explorer to the Americas, Columbus sailed for the Spanish, and previously was a slave trader under the Portuguese flag. He noted that many historians are even skeptical about Columbus' purported Italian heritage, as there is little historical evidence to back this belief. "Columbus is certainly not one who I would be proud to be representative of my people," Matias said. "Because the fact of the matter is, Columbus never landed–he never stepped foot in the United States." "Italian Americans have contributed a lot to America and I think it would be in their best interest and benefit them most, and educate their young people, by picking an Italian American who gave something to this country," he said. Matias questioned why Italian Americans would want someone like Columbus to stand as a symbol of their heritage, pointing out that there are "a whole host" of Italian Americans who have made great contributions to the country. ![]() lived in the Caribbean before Columbus even arrived."Ī woman looks at a statue depicting Christopher Columbus, which had its head removed, at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park on June 10 in Boston, Massachusetts Tim Bradbury/Getty "When you talk about discovery, then you're ignoring the fact that millions of people. "We're talking about a criminal who through these fables in American history has been made out to be this discoverer, " he said. "You know, we get into the history of Columbus of the murder, the genocide," Matias said, pointing out he was actually sent back to Europe "in chains." He told Newsweek that his organization has long been calling for renaming Columbus Circle and removing the monument. Newsweek reached out to Cuomo's office for further comment.Ĭliff Matias, cultural director of the Redhawk Native American Arts Council, criticized Cuomo's remarks about the statue. But he argued that its symbolism to Italian Americans is important, saying "for that reason I support it." The governor said he understands that many have negative sentiments toward the slave trader, and that some of Columbus' actions should not be supported. "The Christopher Columbus statue in some way represents the Italian-American legacy in this country, and the Italian-American contribution in this country," Cuomo, who is Italian American, said. ![]() New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo rejected the idea on Thursday during his daily press conference. An official announcement about that decision said the city "will keep the monument in place and take additive measures to continue the public discourse, including placing new historical markers in or around Columbus Circle explaining the history of Columbus and of the monument itself, and commissioning a new monument, at a location in the city not yet determined, recognizing Indigenous peoples." Protesters Topple, Burn Christopher Columbus Statue Before Tossing in LakeĪ spokesperson for de Blasio's administration referred Newsweek to a previous decision not to rename the statue, which was made in 2018.Photos, Videos Show Jefferson Davis Statue Torn Down in Richmond, Virginia.Ted Cruz Calls Protesters Who Pulled Down Columbus 'American Taliban'.Protesters are Tearing Down and Beheading Christopher Columbus Statues.Historians have called into question Columbus' claim to discovering the Americas as well, pointing out that there were millions of people already here and that other Europeans, and possibly the Chinese, are believed to have landed in the so-called "New World" earlier. Many have also pointed out that Columbus was actually an African slave trader before launching his expedition to the Americas. Although Columbus has long been credited with "discovering" the Americas, Native Americans point out that the European explorer was responsible for the massacre, rape and enslavement of untold numbers of indigenous peoples in the Caribbean, where he first landed. Native Americans and many other activists have long criticized the celebration of Columbus within U.S. Thousands have called for renaming New York City's iconic Columbus Circle and removing the monument there, as statues of Christopher Columbus have been torn down and vandalized by anti-racism demonstrators in several cities across the country.Ī petition on has garnered thousands of signatures, requesting that New York's City Council and Mayor Bill de Blasio rename Columbus Circle in midtown Manhattan and remove the statue there, as well as any others of Columbus in the city, from public view.
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