The decision to remove the statue was made on Sunday by the museum's management and has been approved by New York's mayor. On Monday, President Trump criticized the decision on Twitter with the words: ridiculous, don't do it.

At the same time, statues in other parts of the United States have been overturned and vandalized, as part of the recent wave of protests that swept across the country after George Floyd's death.

Monument vandalized in California

On Saturday, activists toppled a statue depicting Catholic missionary Junípero Serra in a Los Angeles park, according to the LA Times. The Franciscan monk Serra was active during the Spanish colonization of California in the 18th century. He is regarded by many activists among American residents as a symbol of hard missionary work and Christian coercion.

On Friday night, statues in a park in San Francisco met the same fate when protesters tore down monuments depicting Serra as well as lawyer and poet Francis Scott Key, best known as a copywriter for the US national anthem.

Also a statue depicting President and General Ulysses S. Grant torn down. Grant led the victorious North State side in the American Civil War, which meant an end to slavery, but must have been slave owners at the start of the war, writes The Hill.

Also a bust depicting Spanish 16th century writer Miguel Cervantes was vandalized according to The Mercury News.