Petition To Remove Columbus Statue In New London Gains Steam

NEW LONDON, CT — Thousands have signed a petition to remove a Christopher Columbus statue from New London, NBC CT reported. The statue was recently covered with red spray paint.

New London Mayor Michael Passero said the paint won't be removed by public works employees until the city council makes a decision regarding the statue's future, according to NBC CT.

Passero said that public discussion of the Columbus statue is "long overdue," as the community has made objections to it in the past.

The Change.org petition to remove the statue has more than 6,000 signatures.

The petition reads: "In downtown New London CT there is a statue of Christopher Columbus. It has been there for many years, but it is time for it to be taken down... Our city is one of the most diverse in Connecticut with many different races and ethnicities living side by side. This statue is showing them that we condone this racist man. We should not have a statue of this man in our town, he represents nothing positive for us. Instead, we should have a statue of the African captives that led the revolt on La Amistad in 1839..."

The controversy regarding Christopher Columbus statues isn't just limited to New London. Boston's Columbus statue was recently beheaded. A Columbus statue in Virginia was toppled over as well.

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