Protesters surround a statue of Christopher Columbus before marching, eventually returning and pulling it down in Richmond, Virginia, June 9, 2020. (PARKER MICHELS-BOYCE/AFP via Getty Images)
In fact, several statues of Columbus have been removed, defaced or even dragged and submerged into water over the past few years because of the controversy surrounding the historical figure.
An 8-foot-tall bronze statue of Columbus once housed at the entrance of Byrd Park in Richmond, Virginia, was uprooted by protesters in light of George Floyd’s 2020 death until finding a new home in a New York City suburb last year.
In images from the tumultuous summer, protesters are seen marching near the statue, holding signs that called for removal of imagery that recognizes colonizers to pay respect to indigenous communities.
Christopher Columbus is credited with discovering the "New World" in his search for a western passage to the Indies.
Other reports and images show the statue on the ground after being pulled down from its pedestal with ropes, defaced with spray paint and lit on fire.
The protesters then dragged the statue to a nearby pond and submerged it in water.
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The nearly 100-year-old homage to Columbus was later retrieved and restored before eventually being shipped to its new home at the Rockland Sons of Italy Lodge in the hamlet of Blauvelt, located approximately 20 miles northwest of New York City.
Fox News Digital’s Taylor Penley contributed to this report.
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.
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