Christopher Columbus Statue Tossed In Lake, Another Beheaded

Source: JOSEPH PREZIOSO / Getty

It’s a reckoning against problematic racist symbols, and that doesn’t just mean Confederate statues. Protesters in Richmond toppled a statue of Christopher Columbus and tossed it into a lake, while another was beheaded in Boston. Quicky history lesson, Columbus got lost on the way to India and wound up in the Caribbean, “discovered” land that was already populated, pretty much sparked the Atlantic Slave Traded and ushered in genocide. Okay, that said, dude was nevertheless credited as discovering America for hundreds of years, but lately, the jig is up.

So with the unrest against police brutality and racial injustice going global, it was only a matter of time before eyes fell on all those statues of Columbus. On Tuesday night (June 9), in Richmond, protesters toppled and dragged a statue of the guy into a lake. Reports NBC 12:

The Christopher Columbus statue was torn down by protesters in downtown Richmond Tuesday night.

It happened around 9 p.m. at Byrd Park, following a peaceful demonstration outside of the statue in honor of indigenous people.

Shortly afterward, the statue was ripped from its foundation, spray painted, then set on fire.

After that, the statue ended up in the lake.

Meanwhile over in Beantown, a Columbus statue got beheaded. Reports CBS Boston:

The Christopher Columbus statue in Boston’s North End will be removed Wednesday, hours after it was beheaded overnight. Mayor Marty Walsh said it will be put in storage and there will now be conversations about whether it will ever go back up.

The statue in Christopher Columbus Park on Atlantic Avenue was surrounded by crime scene tape early Wednesday morning as the head lay on the ground next to the base.

We’re not condoning the destruction of public property. However, ya love to see it. Peep reactions to Columbus statues catching fades below.