Staten Islanders and local elected officials came out in force to support the Christopher Columbus statue in Manhattan's Columbus Circle at a monuments commission hearing at Borough Hall Tuesday morning. The Mayoral Advisory Commission on City Art, Monuments, and Markers held its fifth and final public hearing on Staten Island, during which residents were granted the opportunity to share their ideas about the city's monuments in public spaces. About 100 people were in attendance.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the 90-day review of "symbols of hate" after deadly violence erupted in Charlottesville, Va., when white supremacist groups protested the removal of a statue of Confederate Army Gen. Robert E. Lee. However, the conversation in New York City has focused primarily on the possible removal of the Christopher Columbus statue.