Pueblo activists came before City Council on Monday to plead their case for the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue in the Mesa Junction neighborhood, sparking a contentious conversation about city leadership’s legacy in either protecting or removing the monument.
It is the latest action from the protesters who rallied at the site on Abriendo Avenue for 20 consecutive Sundays last year and began protesting again in March. Ultimately, they want the monument taken down and re-contextualized to give what they say is an accurate depiction of Columbus’s legacy of brutality and oppression.
“With the Columbus monument taken down and then put into proper context, we then have the opportunity to discuss the nature of exploration, the nature of discovery, the nature of conquest and the nature of exploitation,” said Tomas Martínez Ortega, the chair of El Movimiento Sigue, during Monday s city council work session.