‘Completely out of place’: Christopher Columbus statue to be removed from California state house

Announcement comes after statue of explorer set on fire by protesters overnight

A statue of Christopher Columbus will be removed from California‘s state capitol, amid a growing campaign to take down monuments of the Italian explorer.

The statue, which also features Queen Isabella of Castile, who sponsored Columbus’ voyage in 1492, currently stands in the rotunda of the capitol in Sacramento and is titled “Columbus’ Last Appeal to Queen Isabella.”

It has stood there since 1883, when it was gifted to the state.

However, in a joint statement the legislative leadership in California claimed that the statue is now “completely out of place.”

The statement was a combined effort from Senate president pro tempore Toni G Atkins, assembly speaker Anthony Rendon and Assembly Rules Committee chair Ken Cooley.

“Christopher Columbus is a deeply polarizing historical figure given the deadly impact his arrival in this hemisphere had on indigenous populations,” the statement read.

“The continued presence of this statue in California’s Capitol, where it has been since 1883, is completely out of place today. It will be removed."

The decision was praised by California assemblywoman Lorena Gonzales, who also serves as the head of the Latino Caucus.

“It’s important that children today learn the difference between real heroes and fake ones,” Ms Gonzales tweeted.

The announcement by the leadership comes after statues of Columbus have been taken down across the US, in response to protests around racial injustice.

Monuments to Confederate officials have also been removed in numerous states in the past couple of weeks, and House speaker, Nancy Pelosi has called for 11 monuments to be removed from the US Capitol.

On Tuesday night, a statue of Columbus was toppled and set on fire, before being thrown in a lake in Virginia at a protest which honoured Native Americans.

The statue had been positioned in Byrd Park, in Richmond, Virginia, but was dislodged with ropes before being set on fire and rolled into Fountain Lake.

An activist told the crowd: “We have to start where it all began,” according to the Times-Dispatch. “We have to start with the people who stood first on this land”.