Crews have removed the plywood box that had been placed over a Philadelphia statue of Christopher Columbus that saw tense standoffs in 2020 between supporters of the monument and opponents who viewed it as a symbol of white supremacy.
The box was removed Sunday night, as a small crowd of statue supporters cheered. The work came two days after a state judge ordered the box's removal, saying that if the city disagrees with the “message” the statue sends, it can add its own plaque with what it wants to convey.
