There were no protests or vandalism, but those who honor Christopher Columbus and those who do not made themselves known on Columbus Day. At the statue of Christopher Columbus in front of Union Station in Washington Square, the local Sons of Italy left a red, white and green wreath honoring Columbus. The explorer is seen in the Italian American community as a hero. Also left at the statue were items by supporters of Indigenous peoples' rights who see Columbus as an oppressor of Native Americans.

Among the items left as a reminder of Indigenous rights were a patch and a sticker with the words "resist" on them; two books, "Trail of Tears" by John Ehle, about the rise and fall of the Cherokee nation, and "1491" by Charles C. Mann, about the Americas before Columbus; flowers' small arrowheads, and a Native American dream-catcher.