Last night, after consultation with a variety of stakeholders, the City temporarily removed the Christopher Columbus statues in Grant Park and Arrigo Park until further notice.
We took this step in response to demonstrations that became unsafe for both protesters and police, and to efforts by individuals to independently pull the Grant Park statue down in an extremely dangerous manner.
This step is an effort to protect public safety and to preserve a safe space for an inclusive and democratic public dialogue about our city's symbols.
It also will allow us to focus public safety resources where they are most needed--particularly in our South and West Side communities.
We will soon be announcing a formal process to assess the monuments, memorials, and murals across Chicago’s communities, and develop a framework for a public dialogue to determine how we elevate our city’s history and diversity.
As I've said, this is not about a single statue or mural, but how we create a platform to channel our city’s dynamic civic energy to collaboratively, purposefully and peacefully reflect our values as Chicagoans...
...and uplift the stories of all of our diverse city’s residents, particularly when it comes to the permanent memorialization of our shared heritage.
