On the day the U.S. commemorates Christopher Columbus’ landing in the Americas, Italian Americans in the Chicago area are demanding the city return three statues of the explorer that were removed due to protests. In 2020, then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot ordered the removal of the statues from Grant Park, Arrigo Park and South Chicago.

At the time, Lightfoot said she was trying to avoid further confrontation between police and protesters opposed to the statues. Left-wing protesters pulled down or destroyed many statues of historical figures as part of the civil unrest that erupted nationwide following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.