Committee formed to decide what should replace New Haven’s Wooster Square Columbus statue in
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NEW HAVEN, CT (WTIC/WCCT) — Near the end of June, the Wooster Square Christopher Columbus statue in New Haven was taken down amid calls for its removal and it was vandalized.
The new Wooster Square Monument Committee was scheduled to initially meet this evening to start the discussion on what will stand in its place.
Mayor Justin Elicker said the committee will be made up of over two dozen people. The group includes members of Italian heritage organizations, members of the parks commission, historians, business owners, and members of the community.
The statue had caused controversy as calls echoed across the country for communities to remove statues depicting people from the Confederacy, slave owners, and traders, and other explorers who some say should not have been immortalized in bronze, including Christopher Columbus.
Those against the Wooster Square’s statue removal argued that taking it down was insulting to their heritage, while those in favor of taking it down argued that Columbus was not someone who should be celebrated.
“As a black man, who teaches in this community, the fact that my kids every morning have to drive right by the statue, pre-pandemic, the fact that it’s getting removed, it is, is refreshing,” said Garrett Griffin of New Haven.
“I don’t condone anything that he has done in the past,” said Angelo Appi, Jr., a member of the Knights of Columbus of North Haven. “But, this is the present, right now. This is an icon in our community.”
“The removal of the statue was spearheaded by leadership in the (New Haven) Italian community and I think that’s really important to note because, when you look at what’s happening in many other cities, statues are being toppled by people that have decided to take things into their own hands,” said Mayor Elicker.
There were tense moments between both groups the day that the statue came down, but police had said no arrests were made.
The decision to take the statue down came after it was vandalized. It is now in an undisclosed public works building.
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