Christopher Columbus Statue Recovered From Harbor: Report

BALTIMORE, MD — A dive crew reportedly retrieved pieces of the Christopher Columbus statue from the Baltimore harbor Monday. The statue was removed from its pedestal off Eastern Avenue Saturday night, then was dragged and thrown into the water.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan condemned the act of vandalism in Baltimore.

"While we welcome peaceful protests and constructive dialogue on whether and how to put certain monuments in context or move them to museums through a legal process, lawlessness, vandalism, and destruction of public property is completely unacceptable," Hogan said.

"That is the antithesis of democracy and should be condemned by everyone, regardless of their politics," Hogan continued. "Baltimore City leaders need to regain control of their own streets and immediately start making them safer."

Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison told WBAL Radio that there were only a few officers assigned to cover peaceful protests downtown Saturday night, and it would have been "tactically unsafe" for them to insert themselves between demonstrators and the statue.

Baltimore City's Fraternal Order of Police gave a different version of the events. The police union reported officers "were ready to stop this criminal activity ... but were ordered to do nothing."

The statue weighed 17 tons and was recovered Monday by a team of divers and crane operators in pieces, according to WBAL, which reported the head had not been located.

This is not the first Columbus monument to be destroyed in Baltimore.

In August 2017, police said vandals took a sledgehammer to an obelisk honoring the explorer near Herring Run Park. Created in 1792, it was the oldest Columbus monument in the nation.

Protesters nationally have called for the removal of statues honoring the Italian explorer who is held responsible for killing and exploiting native peoples of the Americas. Statues of Columbus have also been vandalized in Miami; Richmond, Virginia; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Boston, where one was decapitated, according to the Associated Press.

Outlining who is responsible for the statue and what the punishment for vandals should look like sparked state and city lawmakers to call for discussions and new laws, according to the Baltimore Sun.

The City Council ordered removal of multiple Confederate monuments from Baltimore in 2017, which were then put in storage at an undisclosed location. The Maryland Historical Trust, which has authority over the city's historic statues, told the Baltimore Sun in 2018 discussions were underway about new venues for them.

See Also:

• Baltimore Protesters Tear Down Christopher Columbus Statue, Throw It Into Harbor
• Oldest Christopher Columbus Monument In U.S. Destroyed With Sledgehammer
• Baltimore's Confederate Monuments Taken Down Overnight