The New Britain Racial Justice Coalition is organizing a march and call-in to the City Council, pressing for removal of the Christopher Columbus statue in the city.
The event is to be Wednesday, July 8, 2020 at 5:30pm.
“We will march from the New Britain Christopher Columbus statue to New Britain City Hall,” event organizers say.
Organizers add, “Outside of New Britain City Hall, we will all call-in to the Common Council meeting and express our support for the immediate removal of the statue.”
Christopher Columbus has long been honored by New Britain’s Italian-American community, for many of whom he has been a symbol of courage, ingenuity and Catholic faith. In times when many Italians faced ethic and religious discrimination, Columbus was held up as an inspirational hero of Italian heritage. The Italian flag waves at the New Britain Columbus statue.
But, with nationwide protests against racism and inequality including a focus on bringing down symbols of racism and colonialism, renewed attention to accounts from a priest, Bartolome de las Casas, and others, telling about enslavement, murder, rape and other brutality upon native peoples under Columbus’ conquests have led to successful calls for statues of him being removed in some cities.
Since the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, protesters and local governments have removed numerous confederate statues and monuments, long recognized as symbols of white supremacist ideology, and now, finally removed for that reason.
Organizers of the march and protest on July 8th say, “Please wear a mask and bring water and your phone! We recommend you park near City Hall and walk to the monument.”
New Britain’s Columbus statue is located at the corner of Main and North streets.
