Two Christopher Columbus statues in different cities were vandalized overnight by angry protestors. In Richmond, Virginia, the statue in downtown's Byrd Park was torn down following a peaceful demonstration in support of indigenous people Tuesday night. The statue was then spray-painted, set on fire and tossed into a lake. The incidents come as pressure builds in the United States to rid the country of monuments associated with racism following massive demonstrations over the killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis last month.
Columbus has long been a contentious figure in history for his treatment of the Indigenous communities. n recent years, many cities and states have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day, in recognition of the pain and terror caused by Columbus and other European explorers. Some demonstrators have said they targeted Columbus statues to stand in solidarity with Indigenous people.