Columbus Circle Barricades Come Down After 9 Months

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Police barricades that blocked part of Columbus Circle for most of a year were finally dismantled this week, nine months after they were erected during a wave of protests.

Shortly after protests began in early June over the police killing of George Floyd, the NYPD set up metal barricades around the Christopher Columbus monument, closing off the small park in the middle of the traffic circle and also preventing cyclists from using the bike lanes that surround it.

Neighbor Charlie Todd shared a photo Wednesday morning that showed the circle back to normal, as a cyclist rode his bicycle into the open space.

“I'm thrilled to see Columbus Circle opened back up to the community in time for spring,” Todd wrote in an email. “It's been such a bummer to have this public space closed for nearly 9 months.”

Police began patrolling the space after last summer’s protests included the toppling of Columbus statues in other parts of the country. The NYPD mostly refused to explain its heavy presence, which included a 24/7 watch at Columbus Circle and at another statue of the explorer within Central Park — plus others in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens.

The status of those other barricades was not immediately clear, but Todd said the Central Park statue remained blocked off Wednesday morning, with a police car stationed nearby. The NYPD and Parks Department did not immediately return requests for comment.

Residents had complained for months about the persistent obstructions, arguing that any danger posed by the protests had long since passed.

In August, New York Post columnist Nicole Gellinas called on the city to reopen the space, which former Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe hailed upon its opening as "one of New York's great new public plazas.”

"But what is the point of creating new — and highly imperfect — asphalt parks, if we aren't going to use the parks we have?" Gellinas wrote.

Every time I come to Columbus Circle, @NYCMayor’s complete ineptitude and willful disregard for public space is on full display. @BilldeBlasio @NYPDnews @NYCParks when will the barricades come down? pic.twitter.com/fXivAJfJmc
— Jeffrey LeFrancois (@jlef423) March 6, 2021

Also starting last summer, New Yorkers complained that NYPD barricades set up to protect local precincts were blocking streets, sidewalks and sometimes entire neighborhood blocks. A September report by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer’s office found that 19 out of 22 Manhattan police precincts had barricades impeding pedestrians or drivers.

Related coverage:

• Barricades Still Block Columbus Circle, 7 Months After Protests
• Midtown Community Board To NYPD: Tear Down These Barricades
• Battle Escalates Over NYPD's Midtown Street Barricades