It is not clear if the city will follow the recommendations of the Chicago monuments project advisory committee. In May, Mayor Lori Lightfoot hinted strongly at ignoring them.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot vowed two years ago Friday to confront the “the hard truths of Chicago’s racial history” by using the city’s public spaces to memorialize the “city’s true and complete history.” That promise remains unfulfilled, 729 days later.
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.