Protesters pulled down a statue of Christopher Columbus in St. Paul on June 10 as anti-racism demonstrations surged around the country. State Rep. Sondra Erickson, R-Princeton, watched from her office window. "We watched in amazement as we saw them lasso the statue and start pulling on it," said Erickson. "I saw a lot of women pulling on it. I was just in shock. I saw no law enforcement or peace officers or anyone confronting them."

Statues around the country, including Confederate monuments, have fallen or been questioned during the national conversation on institutional racism. George Floyd's death while in custody of Minneapolis police on Memorial Day launched demonstrations and riots around the world.