A plywood box that has been covering a statue of Christopher Columbus in South Philadelphia for more than two years can now be removed, according to a ruling in commonwealth court.
The court ruling also reversed a previous order and will allow for a clear structure to be built around the statue.
In June 2020, the statue became the point of contention between groups who wanted to defend it from vandalism amid ongoing social unrest, and other groups who saw the statue as a symbol of hate. The confrontations between the opposing sides resulted in The 146-year-old statue in South Philadelphia’s Marconi Plaza was covered by the box back that same month.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney had ordered the statue’s removal, calling it a matter of public safety. Kenney said Columbus was venerated for centuries as an explorer but had a "much more infamous" history, enslaving Indigenous people and imposing punishments such as severing limbs or even death. Last year, a judge reversed the city’s decision to remove the statue, saying city officials had failed to provide public evidence that the statue’s removal was necessary to protect the public.
"It is baffling to this court as to how the City of Philadelphia wants to remove the Statue without any legal basis. The City’s entire argument and case is devoid of any legal foundation," Judge Paula Patrick wrote.
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