The statue of Christopher Columbus in south Philadelphia stands uncovered for the first time in two years.
Pennsylvania Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt ruled Friday that the plywood box covering the statue standing in Marconi Plaza be removed, saying that if the city disagrees with the statue’s “message,” it should add a plaque explaining what is “more in line with the message the City wishes to convey,” per NBC News.
"More to the point, the City accepted the donation of the Columbus statue in 1876. It has a fiduciary duty to preserve that statue, which it designated an historic object in 2017," Leavitt wrote in the decision."The Columbus statue is not City property as is, for example, a City snowblower. Whether the City agrees with the 'message' is simply irrelevant to its fiduciary duty to preserve and maintain public works of art that have been designated historic objects.
The mayor’s office said via a statement that it was “very disappointed in the Court’s ruling” to unbox the statue. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney had ordered the statue be removed for public safety in June 2020 amid nationwide protests over racial injustice following the death of George Floyd. However, a court halted those plans, saying the city had not provided evidence that the move was needed to protect the public.
Grateful that the Commonwealth Court took the time to review this important matter tonight. The Commonwealth Court reinstated the stay and overturned the Court of Common Pleas order from earlier today. No action will be taken with respect to the statue at this time. https://t.
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