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New York Mayor Bill de Blasio joined the state governor, Andrew Cuomo, on Friday to defend the continuation of the famous Christopher Columbus statue that presides over the central Columbus Circle roundabout .

Although with less enthusiasm than Cuomo, who is strongly against the removal of the monument, the progressive De Blasio also advocates leaving things as they are.

The statue is being watched by the police after the attacks on various figures of Columbus in different parts of the United States, in the framework of the anti-racist demonstrations taking place in the country.

It is not the first time that the Columbus Circle statue has been involved in controversy, since for years there have been groups that have repeatedly called for its withdrawal due to the role of Columbus in the colonization of the American continent and the killing of indigenous populations. .

The statue was already saved from burning in 2018, after an expert commission created by De Blasio to review controversial monuments in the city recommended keeping it in its place, although adding explanatory plates to provide context and adding a monument dedicated to indigenous people. , a project that has not yet been carried out.

"The commission did a very careful work, very extensive. Very good and committed people who care about understanding the whole story and who care about social justice," De Blasio said Friday asked about it.

"I think we should stick to what that commission did," defended the mayor, who hinted that the issue of the statue of Columbus is far from his main concerns right now.

A day earlier, Cuomo - like De Blasio, a Democrat and of Italian origin - had said "understand the feelings against Columbus and about some of his acts", but had stressed that the statue "represents the legacy and contribution of the Italian-Americans" .

When his possible withdrawal was discussed in 2017, Cuomo had clearly positioned himself in favor of its continuity together with organizations from the Italian community.

Placed on a granite pedestal over 20 meters high, the marble statue was a gift made to the city in 1892 by Italian-American immigrant communities.

IN NEW JERSEY THEY DO WITHDRAW A STATUE OF COLUMBUS

In contrast to the position of New York, the city of Camden (in neighboring New Jersey) withdrew in the last few hours another statue of Columbus installed in one of its parks after numerous requests to that effect.

According to the town's mayor, Frank Moran, the statue "had long been a controversial symbol", the presence of which "has greatly hurt community residents."

Now, in the midst of the debate generated by the protests after the death at the hands of the police of the African American George Floyd, it is time to establish a plan to "reexamine these obsolete symbols of racial division and injustices," Moran defended.

The action was not to the liking of Italian-born New Jersey residents who have deemed the action "disrespectful" because it is "an important symbol" for that community, according to local NJ.com

In recent days, protesters have attacked several statues of the explorer in different parts of the United States such as Richmond (Virginia), Boston (Massachusetts), Saint Paul (Minnesota), Houston (Texas) and Miami (Florida), reaching in some cases knock them down or decapitate them.

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