Just below the Phipps Conservatory in Oakland stands a majestic statue of Christopher Columbus. And on Columbus Day, it stood defaced with red paint. “This has been happening over the past twenty years. For some reason, folks don’t care for Christopher Columbus,” Pittsburgh city operations chief Guy Costa told KDKA political editor Jon Delano on Monday.
Costa, who also chairs the Columbus Day parade, condemned the vandalism, which he sees as aimed at Italian Americans. “No one appreciates vandalism of any type, especially with a statue that represents and means a lot to a lot of people,” says Costa.
