Campaign To Tear Down Statue of Christopher Columbus

For more than century a bronze statue of Christopher Columbus has adorned the Barcelona skyline, but now a group of anti-capitalist councilors are working to get the memorial torn down.

Constructed in 1888, the 197ft (60 metre) memorial stands at the foot La Rambia. At its base are homages to Columbus’ colleagues, and his patrons: King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain.

On Friday, councilors from CUP Capgirem will submit a proposal to Barcelona City Council calling for the statue to be removed, along with the base of the column. They argue that a more appropriate feature on the city’s skyline would be a memorial to “American resistance to imperialism, oppression and indigenous and African-American segregation.”