Hartford, Connecticut has removed a statue of Christopher Columbus that sat in the shadow of the state Capitol since 1926 amid a national outcry over statues honoring historical figures who participated in slavery and discrimination. After Mayor Luke Bronin vowed on June 15 to take the Columbus statue down, city workers quietly removed the monument Monday morning, finishing just before 7 a.m, according to The Hartford Courant.

Michael Looney, acting director of public works, told the paper that the statue would be placed in storage until the city determines what to do with it. "The emphasis is on getting it down and crated," he said. Bronin added in a statement to the paper that the city will continue to work with the Italian American community to find a "better way to honor and commemorate the Italian American community’s immense contributions to our community and our country."