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Demonstrators rally at City Hall to bring down Christopher Columbus statue
Dispatch ^

Posted on 08/19/2017 5:19:52 PM PDT by TigerClaws

Christopher Columbus was a villain of history and his statue should be removed, according to demonstrators who gathered today before one of several statues of the man in this city that bears his name.

The hastily scheduled event at City Hall — drawing more than 100 people and no apparent counterprotestors — was in response to the clashes last weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia, that resulted in the death of one woman. The protest there started in response to the city’s decision to take down statues of Confederate leaders.

Organizers of the Columbus rally said they are trying to stand up to a resurgence of racism and other discrimination across the country.

“Charlottesville is not an anomaly,” said Tynan Krakoff, 29, of Columbus, one of the organizers. “There are symbols and institutions of white supremacy everywhere.”

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There are at least three statues of Columbus in this city: at City Hall, at Columbus State Community College and at the Statehouse. They were put up at a time when Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer, was largely viewed as a hero, and before the reassessment that has occurred more recently about his enslavement of and violence against Native Americans.

“Christopher Columbus was a violent man, colonizing North America and causing genocide for indigenous peoples here,” Krakoff said. “We want the statue removed, but that’s just the symbol. What we’re really fighting for is systemic changes.”

Krakoff is a leader of Showing Up for Racial Justice, a national organization for white people who oppose racism. Among the other groups that helped to organize today’s demonstration: Black Central, Democratic Socialists of America and People’s Justice Project.

Also present were members of the “antifa,” or anti-fascist activists, carrying semi-automatic rifles and wearing bandannas to conceal their faces.

“We’re security,” said Micah Naziri, 40, of Yellow Springs. He said the group’s goal is to deter white supremacists who might come and try to disrupt the event, and protect the crowd in case outsiders show up and try to cause trouble. “We’re here so that people can’t be intimidated.”

There was no violence at City Hall. The closest thing to a counterprotest was one man wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat who stood among the crowd, observed and took photos with his phone.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: christophercolumbus; ohio
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To: TigerClaws

This is really starting to remind me of Germany in the 30s.


21 posted on 08/19/2017 5:34:40 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: BenLurkin

If they hate white culture so much, we should start demanding they give up the fruits of white competency. Just for starters, electric lights, electric power, indoor plumbing and the Crapper, comfort air conditioning, automobiles, . . .


22 posted on 08/19/2017 5:34:52 PM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: TigerClaws

Throw them all in jail for damaging city property.


23 posted on 08/19/2017 5:35:28 PM PDT by bgill (CDC site, "We don't know how people are infected with Ebola.")
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To: TigerClaws

They are the anarchist thugs who just want to cause destruction.


24 posted on 08/19/2017 5:38:01 PM PDT by bray (Pray for President Trump)
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To: FreedomPoster

I’ve corresponded with an Italian buddy up in NYC suburbs. He says it won’t be pretty if they go after Columbus up there, they’re powerful and politically connected.

________________________________________________________

Well, there’s a beautiful old statue of Columbus on a column, it’s been there since 1892, where there is a Circle named after him, not to mention a Subway station, at Broadway and W 59th St. This statue of Columbus, by renowned sculptor Gaetano Russo, is world famous.

Diblasio is threatening all symbols of hate on city property. We’ll see what happens when he gets around to that one, it’s pretty prominent. Should be interesting.

(And guess what - Trump International Hotel is across the street from it)


25 posted on 08/19/2017 5:39:32 PM PDT by AC86UT89
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To: TigerClaws

People of the 20th Century looked back at the destroyed monuments of the past and said....”What were they thinking!”

People of the future will look back at the destroyed monuments of our time and say...”What were they thinking!”


26 posted on 08/19/2017 5:39:59 PM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: dforest

Anyone have a link to the Texas stuff happening now


27 posted on 08/19/2017 5:40:14 PM PDT by easternsky
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To: TigerClaws
THIS WHOLE THING IS HYSTERICAL!!
28 posted on 08/19/2017 5:44:03 PM PDT by laweeks
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To: rlmorel

Wait till statues of MLK come down....


29 posted on 08/19/2017 5:49:52 PM PDT by matthew fuller (Charlottesville PD Motto- When things get rough, we get gone!)
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To: TigerClaws

What if whites actually are superior?


30 posted on 08/19/2017 5:51:04 PM PDT by ilovesarah2012
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To: ealgeone

It reminds me of the Taliban blowing up a large Buddhist statue in Afghanistan. No wonder the Left loves the Islamic terrorists so much. They’re psychologically similar to the Moslem terrorists; however, the Left may love these activist Muslims, but I don’t many Muslims love the Leftist, pagan infidels. The Left will learn that the enemy of my enemy may still be their enemy — even if people such as James Foley did not learn that — even as the knife was slicing his neck.


31 posted on 08/19/2017 5:51:41 PM PDT by Stepan12 (It is Civil War right now.)
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To: Michael.SF.

But not so much in the NBA and NFL but no one seems to complain.


32 posted on 08/19/2017 5:53:30 PM PDT by ilovesarah2012
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To: ealgeone

The Indians were doing a fine job of killing and enslaving each other before Columbus got here.


33 posted on 08/19/2017 5:57:35 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: blueunicorn6
The Indians were doing a fine job of killing and enslaving each other before Columbus got here.

This is something that must not be taught in schools any longer.

34 posted on 08/19/2017 6:02:00 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: TigerClaws

Why don’t we just quit the pretense? If its a white man it must be taken down.


35 posted on 08/19/2017 6:06:27 PM PDT by Molon Labbie (Kim Jon Un. Entered the world stage Unopposed, led Unapologetically, died Unidentified.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

‘They’re going to LOSE seats in 2018. You heard it here first.’

yes, the political cycle in 2018 is quite poor for them; at some point that will reverse, due to retirements and voter ennui, particularly if the Pubs retain the White House in 2020...


36 posted on 08/19/2017 6:18:01 PM PDT by IrishBrigade
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To: FreedomPoster

‘electric lights, electric power, indoor plumbing and the Crapper, comfort air conditioning, automobiles’

Thunderbird wine...


37 posted on 08/19/2017 6:20:06 PM PDT by IrishBrigade
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To: blueunicorn6

‘The Indians were doing a fine job of killing and enslaving each other before Columbus got here.’

it was necessary for them, in order to replenish the stock of flagging tribes...it had no ethical element for them at all...


38 posted on 08/19/2017 6:23:28 PM PDT by IrishBrigade
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To: All

39 posted on 08/19/2017 6:28:57 PM PDT by LegendHasIt
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To: TigerClaws
“We’re security,” said Micah Naziri

"Naziri" sounds very Arabic.

Maybe Antifa encompasses some ISIS "sleeper cells".

40 posted on 08/19/2017 6:49:51 PM PDT by lightman (ANTIFA is full of Bolshevik.)
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