The City Council will hold a special meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday to vote to have Mayor Joe Ganim re-install the Christopher Columbus statue he had removed July 6 from Seaside Park. Fourteen council members had called on Ganim to, per the City Charter, schedule the special meeting for last week, but he had taken no action, saying the matter should be left to the parks board.

However after the council placed public pressure on Ganim and threatened to take the matter to state Superior Court, Tuesday’s meeting was announced Monday afternoon. Ganim has said he abruptly ordered the statue removed to protect it from vandalism. Critics argue that though some on the council had wanted the divisive monument taken down, they had been negotiating with Italian-American community leaders and the mayor’s action disrupted their progress.