JAKARTA - Anti-racism demonstrations are still rolling out across the United States (US) after the death of George Floyd. Some of the actions were undertaken to destroy the dark legacy of American slavery.
After several townspeople in England destroyed a statue of a slave trade figure, now it's the US turn to do it. The statue of Christopher Columbus, a controversial figure in US history, was destroyed. There are three reports of Christopher Columbus' statues being damaged: one dumped into the lake, one beheaded, and another demolished.
Columbus has long been a controversial figure in US history. Columbus was known for his treatment of the Native Americans he met and for his role in the cruel occupation.
Launching CNN, Thursday, June 11, in recent years, many cities and states have replaced the celebration of Columbus Day. Columbus Day was changed to Indigenous Peoples Day in recognition of the pain and terror caused by Columbus and other European explorers. Some of the demonstrators said they were targeting the Columbus statues to stand out in solidarity with Native Americans.
No longer silentOn Wednesday, June 10, a group of people in Minnesota threw a rope around the statue of Columbus and pulled it to the ground. "This is an ongoing conversation we've had over the years with the people who occupy this building (the capitol)," said Mike Forcia with AIM of Twin Cities, a Native American advocacy group.
Protestors have now toppled Christopher Columbus statue outside Minnesota State Capitol. Organizers were from American Indian Movement & footage from moments ago: pic.twitter.com/nZIb780wva
- Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) June 10, 2020
In another area, in Richmond, Virginia, community groups say they gathered at Byrd Park to protest another racist monument. The protests began with the narrative that Christopher Columbus was a native American assassin and normalized a culture of genocide against people that still exists today.
The demonstration started peacefully. But then protesters broke the statue of Columbus, tore it down, and threw it into a lake. "I thought this was phenomenal," said Maureen Stinger, a Virginia resident.
"I know some people have a lot of emotional attachment to some of these monuments, but I believe with those who took to the streets, it is a very strong step towards unity within the city. And I think that could be a good thing," he added. Stinger.
Meanwhile, in Boston, officials removed the statue of Columbus after it had been removed on Tuesday night. The statue, which was erected in 1979, had previously been damaged in 2015. At that time, the statues were destroyed in red paint and the inscription 'Black Lives Matter'.
"This statue has been vandalized repeatedly in Boston and given the conversations we have now in the City of Boston and across the country, we will also take the time to assess the historical significance of this act," said Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.
Cristopher Columbus and SlaveryChristopher Columbus is an Italian explorer and navigator. In 1492, he sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, from Spain at Santa Maria, with the ships beside him, hoping to find a new route to India. Between 1492 and 1504, Columbus made four voyages to the Caribbean and South America. The voyage opened America to European colonization.
When Columbus first set foot on Hispaniola, he encountered a native called the Taino. The group is very friendly, they willingly traded jewelery, animals and supplies with the sailors.
"They have very good bodies, with very handsome faces and very kind faces," Columbus wrote in his diary. "They don't carry weapons or know him ... They must be good servants."
The natives of Hispaniola were soon forced into slavery and punished with loss of limbs or death if they did not accumulate enough gold. As a result of European brutal treatment and infectious diseases, within a few decades the Taino population was devastated. At the same time, Christopher Columbus also enslaved Indians in other areas for Europeans, especially to work on sugarcane plantations off the west coast of North Africa.
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