Italian-American activists held a rally Wednesday in Columbus Circle urging Mayor Bill de Blasio to restore Columbus Day to the school calendar. "Christopher Columbus is here, he's here to stay," attorney Arthur Idola said. "And on behalf of the lawyers, we are going to do everything that the legal system has to offer to make sure Columbus is not forgotten."

Last week, the Department of Education removed the explorer from the official holiday in his name, initially saying schools would only celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day on October 11 but later amending it to also include Italian Heritage Day.