The Christopher Columbus statue is back in Philadelphia

A court ordered Philadelphia authorities to uncover the statue of Christopher Columbus. The monument remained in a plywood box for two years. On Columbus Day, the city administration painted the box with the colors of the Italian flag in reference to the discoverer's Genoese origin. Columbus departed from Spain and his voyage was financed by the Spanish crown.

Before it was covered, the monument was vandalized by far-left activists who embraced the theory that Christopher Columbus was responsible for mistreatment the indigenous people who lived on the American continent before he arrived. It was then that the city's Democratic mayor, Jim Kenney, bowed to pressure and decided to cover the statue in 2020 citing public safety concerns.

Kenney attempted to remove the Christopher Columbus statue while it was covered, but a judge declined his request on the grounds that city officials had not demonstrated that the statue posed a threat to public safety.

Apart from ordering its return to public display, the judge has ordered a structure to be built to protect the monument from extremist vandalism and allowing visitors to view it safely.

The monument is 146 years old and is located in the city's Marconi Piazza. In addition, the railing that borders the statue contains silhouettes of the three ships with which Columbus reached the American coasts: the Niña, the Pinta, the Santa Maria.

"The rule of law still matters"

George Bochetto, an attorney who represented the statue's supporters during the lawsuit, celebrated the unveiling of the monument and that "the rule of law still matters."

On the opposite side, Kevin Lessard, spokesman for the city of Philadelphia, maintains that the monument should be removed and expressed his disagreement with the court decision even though he respects it: