A sense of deep “hurt” and confusion swept through the city’s Italian American community Friday, hours after the removal of two Christopher Columbus statues in the dark of night. “Are we happy about it? Absolutely not. As a community, we are extremely hurt,” said Sergio Giangrande, president of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, which is headquartered in Stone Park.

Giangrande said he’d been reassured by Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s recent comments that she had no plans to tear down statues of historical figures. “I don’t understand what changed,” Giangrande said. “Are we giving in to the violence of the left at this point? ... This was a decision made without us. We were not at the table to discuss what other options there were.”