Photos: Columbus Statue At Minnesota Capitol Toppled

SAINT PAUL, MN — The 10-foot tall bronze sculpture of Christopher Columbus at the grounds of the Minnesota State Capitol is no longer standing. Demonstrators toppled it Wednesday afternoon, saying it was a symbol of genocide.

State authorities heard about plans to take down the statue earlier in the day, but were unable to persuade activists into using legal action over force.

"While that process was too long for those who were pained by the statue’s presence, that is not an excuse for them to take matters into their own hands," Gov. Tim Walz said after the incident, according to the Star Tribune. "Even in pain, we must work together to make change, lawfully."

The Minnesota State Patrol is investigating the toppling of the statue, and criminal charges may be filed.

The statue was sculpted by Carlo Brioschi and presented as a gift from Minnesota's Italian-Americans in 1931.

"I can’t say I’m sad the statue of Christopher Columbus is gone," Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan wrote in a statement Wednesday night.

"I’m not. All Minnesotans should feel welcome at the Minnesota State Capitol, and our state is long overdue for a hard look at the symbols, statues, and icons that were created without the input of many of our communities."

Flanagan is a citizen of the White Earth Nation of Ojibwe. She's also the highest-ranking Native woman elected to executive office in the country.

"The arrival of Christopher Columbus to what is now the Americas set in motion centuries of violence and genocide against the Indigenous people who already lived here," she continued.

"I have often reflected on the fact that I could see a statue honoring that legacy from my office window. It was a constant reminder that our systems were not built by or for Native people or people of color, but in many cases, to exclude, erase, and eliminate us. Tonight, I’m thinking of all the Native children who might now feel more welcome on the grounds and in the halls of their state government."

The statue quickly fell after protesters lassoed it with rope, as video from National reporter Joyce Karam shows. Minnesota Reformer reporter Max Nesterak also captured the scene on video.