On Tuesday, April 6, 2021, Philadelphia Councilmember Mark F. Squilla, The 1492 Society, and the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations all joined forces to file a lawsuit in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Philadelphia Mayor James Kenney’s Executive Order No. 2-21, with which he unilaterally cancelled Columbus Day as a holiday in the City of Brotherly Love and replaced it with “Indigenous Peoples Day.”

This week, host John M. Viola sits down with Atty. George Bochetto, who is representing the plaintiffs in this landmark case. The plaintiffs contend that no notice was given to the other branches of the Philadelphia municipal government, which had a right to designate holidays, no input from the public was requested or allowed for, and no deference was given to Pennsylvania State Statue (44 P.S Section 32) declaring “Columbus Day” as an official statewide holiday, all in violation of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter.