In August, the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans demanded that Columbus statues be returned to Grant and Arrigo parks by Columbus Day and protected at city expense. It didn’t happen, but the two sides are talking.
Mayor Lightfoot reiterated that she doesn’t “believe in erasing history.” That’s why she’s been “talking to lots of folks about what can we do, how can we do it” to secure the Columbus statues.
The statues became a favorite target of protests and vandalism during the civil unrest following the May 2020 death of George Floyd. Protesters clashed with police in Grant Park while trying to topple the statue during a large confrontation in July 2020.
The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans paid a security firm to prepare plans to protect statues of Christopher Columbus removed from Grant and Arrigo parks two years ago amid protests. Recommendations include cameras, motion detectors and 24-hour guards.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday hinted strongly that she plans to ignore a controversial recommendation from her own monuments committee to permanently sideline statues of Christopher Columbus in Grant and Arrigo parks and remove the Balbo Monument in Burnham Park.