Philadelphia ordered to remove box covering Columbus statue

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia is being ordered to remove the plywood box it placed over a statue of Christopher Columbus after 2020 protests over racial injustice. That’s according to a judge’s ruling on Friday. Mayor Jim Kenney spokesman Kevin Lessard responds that the box will be removed as soon as it’s “practically and logistically feasible.” The statue has been the subject of a yearslong dispute between the city and the Friends of Marconi Plaza, where the likeness stands. Supporters say they consider Columbus an emblem of their Italian heritage. The mayor has said Columbus was venerated for centuries as an explorer but had a “much more infamous” history, enslaving Indigenous people and imposing punishments such as severing limbs or even death.