In recent days, controversial statues across the D.C. area have been vandalized and some pulled down by those who disagree with the notion of honoring a historical figure with ties to slavery or persecution. Now, some Maryland lawmakers are asking the governor to protect vulnerable statues in the state.
Republican state Del. Nino Mangione stood in front of a statue of Christoper Columbus in his constituency of Baltimore on Friday, calling on Gov. Larry Hogan and Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young to protect the statues’ “iconic status.”
“If you don’t like or appreciate Christopher Columbus, don’t visit this statue. Stay the hell away from it,” he said at a press conference.
Mangione joined Republican state Del. Kathy Szeliga, who represents Baltimore and Harford counties, in asking Hogan for round-the-clock protection for the historical statues they say are under threat of being vandalized or destroyed.
After seeing our George Washington statue vandalized & the public threat to destroy the Columbus monuments, I will be holding a press conference with Delegate Szeliga calling on the Mayor & Governor to protect these iconic landmarks.
Below is my statement. pic.twitter.com/aXQNdwImHp
— Nino Mangione (@NMangione2018) June 25, 2020
Italian Heritage Festival Chairman John Pica joined the call for protecting the Columbus monuments, sharing the sentiment that they represent the contributions generations of Italian-Americans have made to the city, state and nation.
Columbus has been heralded as the discoverer of America in 1492, but his legacy has undergone greater scrutiny in recent decades, with a number of localities across the U.S. moving to rename Columbus Day in October to Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Since the Minneapolis police-custody death of George Floyd last month, there’s renewed interest about what is memorialized and honored across the U.S.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
