Italian flag painted around Columbus statue in Philadelphia ahead of Indigenous Peoples' Day

Once, it was supposed to be its eponymous holiday; however, on the eve of Indigenous Peoples' Day, the statue of Christopher Columbus in Marconi Plaza, Philadelphia, will remain sealed in a box. Moreover, this year, it gets a fresh coat of paint in the colour of the Italian flag, although the monument's fate is still up in the air.

The statue has been covered with plywood for two and a half years. Recently, it has been decorated with vertical stripes in the Italian flag colors – green, red and white.

It has been heard that the City official carried out the paint job at the request of Mark Squilla, the council member.


Squilla represents City Council's First District, which borders Marconi Park. Although it does not include the Marconi Plaza, he has been making a steady effort to ally with the group by unboxing the figure of Columbus, the renowned slave-trade explorer.



Attorney George Bochetto said about the unboxing event they planned to open before Columbus Day.

FAQ:

1. Why did the statue of Columbus is ordered to remain covered?
   After a protest in June 2020, Mayor Jim Kenney filed a notice in the court to remove the statue of Columbus due to his infamous enslaving Indigenous connection. However, Bochetto has been fighting against the notice to remain the statue in the plaza.
2. How were the surroundings of the statue of Columbus decorated?
   During the protest period, several pro-Columbus graffiti, signage, and art appeared while wire representations of Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria ships were added to the monument's fence.