Philadelphia Judge Orders City To Unbox Columbus Statue: Reports

PHILADELPHIA — A judge has ordered Philadelphia officials to remove the wooden box around the Christopher Columbus statue at Marconi Plaza, multiple local media outlets report.

Judge Paula Patrick ordered the city to allow for a clear structure to be installed around Columbus's statue, according to CBS Philadelphia.

A representative for Mayor Jim Kenney told NBC 10 the city appealed the decision. The mayor's office believes securing the statue in its box is a public safety measure, according to the report.

Patrick ordered earlier this year that the city must allow the statue to remain in place. The city appealed her decision.

The statue was the focal point for clashes in June last year.

Following those events — in which men armed with bats, hammers, and a few firearms gathered at the statue to protect it from potential vandalism, with one man being charged with assault, racial intimidation, and other crimes — the city sought to remove the statue.