NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — New Britain's Common Council voted last night to take down their Christopher Columbus statue in McCabe Park.
The statue had stood in the park for nearly 80 years. Ten members of the council were for the measure and four disapproved.
On July 8th, city residents had their voices heard on the potential removal of the statue.
Those who had argued for the removal said that Christopher Columbus represented racism and oppression.
At least one resident called in in favor of the statue staying, arguing that it represents the American- Italian heritage.
The statute had been vandalized in June.
New Britain is not the only Connecticut town or city to remove its Christopher Columbus statue. New Haven also had voted to remove the Columbus statue in Wooster Square over the summer.
The debate over keeping Columbus statues had started after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis at the end of May while under arrest by officers. The incident sparked a national debate on race and social justice, which in turn also brought another critical eye to statues around the county. Some statues under fire depicted Confederacy generals and soldiers, while others honored controversial explorers and other figures in American history.
