In March 2022, New York State Supreme Court Justice Gerard Neri issued a ruling to keep Syracuse’s Christopher Columbus statue standing in downtown Syracuse. Now, a year later, local community organizations have filed amicus briefs to support Mayor Ben Walsh’s plan to remove the monument.

The ruling was a result of the Columbus Monument Corporation’s May 2021 lawsuit challenging Walsh’s decision to remove the statue. Two organizations, the Women of Italian and Syracuse Heritage and Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation, filed an amicus brief on March 15 showing their support for Walsh’s decision to appeal Neri’s ruling.