Video: Baltimore Protesters Tear Down Christopher Columbus Statue, Throw It Into Harbor

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Videos posted to social media Saturday show protesters pulling down Baltimore’s statue of Christopher Columbus near Little Italy and throwing it into the Inner Harbor.

The statue was located along Eastern Avenue in downtown Baltimore.

The videos show protesters using rope to pull down the Columbus statue. Then they dragged it down a flight of stairs and over brick pavers before throwing it into the Harbor.

Baltimore’s Columbus statue gets dumped in the harbor pic.twitter.com/ZwuNcqAH6d

— J. M. Giordano photo (@jmgpix) July 5, 2020

Protesters can be heard in the video cheering as the statue was thrown into the water.

Police told WJZ that they are aware of the incident but that roads in the area were blocked off. Protesters blocked off several streets during Fourth of July protests around Baltimore.

The pedestal where the Christopher Columbus statue stood. Credit: WJZ

The statue was dedicated to the City of Baltimore by the Italian American Organization in October 1984.

This demonstration comes during a nationwide call to remove confederate monuments and statues of other controversial historical figures.

MORE:

• Crews Retrieve Christopher Columbus Statue From Baltimore’s Harbor
• City, State Leaders, Citizens React To Baltimore Protesters Toppling Of Christopher Columbus Statue Into Inner Harbor

Statues of Columbus have been torn down in other major cities across the U.S. amid recent protests.

Protesters also gathered by Baltimore’s Washington Monument Saturday to ask officials to defund the police.