Columbus Statue Removed by Crane in Chicago's Grant Park

Chicago authorities removed two statues of Christopher Columbus from parks in the city early on Friday, July 24, after efforts made by protesters to topple them.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the statues were removed “until further notice” in “response to demonstrations that became unsafe for both protesters and police, and to efforts by individuals to independently pull the Grant Park statue down in an extremely dangerous manner.”

Lightfoot also said removing the statues would allow the city to direct public safety resources toward South and West Side communities, “where they are most needed.”

Video from Grant Park, in downtown Chicago, shows a crew using a crane to lift the statue off its plinth.

A second statue, at Arrigo Park in the city’s Little Italy neighborhood, was removed a few hours later, according to the Chicago Tribune. Credit: Colin Boyle via Storyful