Chicago mayor caves to mob and removes Christopher Columbus statues

The outlet reported the first of the two statues was removed around 3 a.m. in Grant Park early Friday morning using a large crane. The second was successfully taken down around 5:30 a.m. from Chicago's Little Italy neighbourhood of Arrigo Park.

Steve Cortes took to Twitter in response to Lightfoot's decision, tweeting: "My Chicago Police sources confirm that our magnificent Christopher Columbus statue will be removed tonight from Grant Park, in the dead of night. Our feckless mayor concedes to the violent nihilists."

Lightfoot's office released a statement shortly after the removal of the statues, saying that they were only being "temporarily removed ... until further notice," adding that the action was taken in response "to demonstrations that became unsafe for both protesters and police, as well as efforts by individuals to independently pull the Grant Park statue down in an extremely dangerous manner," a statement read.

“This step is about an effort to protect public safety and to preserve a safe space for an inclusive and democratic public dialogue about our city’s symbols,” the statement continued, saying that the statue's removal came after a "consultation with various stakeholders."

“This statue coming down is because of the effort of Black and Indigenous activists who know the true history of Columbus and what he represents,” Stefan Cuevas-Caizaguano said, according to Global News.

A number of Christopher Columbus statues have been vandalized and destroyed amid the death of George Floyd, with many arguing that statues of historical figures are symbols of genocide and slavery.

"The Italian American community feels betrayed," Pasquale Gianni, of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, said. "The Mayor’s Office is giving into a vocal and destructive minority. This is not how the Democratic process is supposed to work."

Lightfoot's statement added that the city plans to "assess each of the monuments, memorials, and murals across Chicago’s communities, and develop a framework for creating a public dialogue to determine how we elevate our city’s history and diversity."

The statue's removal comes as President Donald Trump and Lightfoot have agreed to deploy federal officers to the city following a surge in gun violence that has resulted in a significant number of injuries.