The Council of Italian American Societies of Greater Bridgeport laid a wreath in Seaside Park today at the site where the Christopher Columbus statue once stood. The group says despite the statue being removed, they are continuing a tradition they have had for 55 years to recognize the explorer and celebrate the Italians who paid for the statue and gifted it to the city.

Bridgeport took the statue down last year as other cities nationwide did the same following protests. Some Italian Americans in Bridgeport are calling on city officials to put the statue back. While Columbus Day is still a federal holiday, some parts of the country have chosen to observe Indigenous People's Day in recent years.