Tensions Remain High Over Christopher Columbus Statue At Marconi Plaza

Matt Petrillo reports.

BYSTANDERS ANOTHER RESPONDINGOFFICERS FROM PRESSING HIS KNEEON FLOYD'S NECK.COMMAND SITUATE CHEN CBS NEWS.PHILADELPHIA MAYOR JIMKENNEY TONIGHT IS RESPOND TO GOTHE ARMED GUARD THAT WAS HOLDINGVIGIL IN SOUTH PHILADELPHIA,KENNY SAYS THE VIGILANTISM ISINAPPROPRIATE.GO LIVE TO MATT PETRILLO WHO'SMONITORING THE SITUATION THEREIN MARCONI PLAZA, MATT.Reporter: HEY, GOOD, GOODEVENING TO YOU, THE CHRISTOPHERCOLUMBUS STATUE BEHIND ME HEREIN SOUTH PHILLY IT'S NOW FENCEDOFF.TO THE RIGHT THOUGH I WANT TODIRECT YOU, THAT'S WHERE THERE'STWO GROUPS OF PEOPLE.ABOUT 20 OR SO WHO WANT THATSTATUE TAKEN DOWN AND ANOTHERGROUP, A MUCH LARGER GROUP,ROUGHLY 50 OR SO PEOPLE WHO TELLUS THEY WANT TO PROTECT THESTATUE FROM BOTH VAC'DALS ANDWHAT THEY CALL A NEW POLITICALMOVEMENT.THEY'RE DOING THE SAME THINGTHAT COLUMBUS DID.THEY'RE COMING INTO OURNEIGHBORHOOD AND TAKING AWAY OURHERITAGE, OKAY.THEY'RE HYPOCRITES.GONOPHS CO-IS ONE OF DOZENSOF PEOPLE WHO HAVE KEPT AROUNDTHE BLOCK GUARD OF THECHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS STATUE.HERE AT MARCONI PLAZA SINCESATURDAY AFTERNOON.THAT'S WHEN WE FOUND SOME ARMEDWITH BATS.OTHERS WITH GUNS.ALL PATROLLING THE PLAZA, WHILEPOLICE WORKED TO KEEP THESITUATION CALM.HOW SCARED ARE YOU?SIR, OH MY GOD.BUT TENSIONS ROSE SATURDAYWHEN A LEFT WING NONPROFIT NEWSORGANIZATION CALLED UNICORN RIOTAPPROACHED SOME DEMONSTRATORSAND REFUSED TO LEAVE.HIS BICYCLE TIRES WERE SLASHED.WE HAVE BEEN TAKING ABUSE FORA NUMBER OF YEARS.TODAY, SOME HERE TOLD US THEYFEEL LIKE THEY'RE THE TARGET OFREVERSE RACISM.THEY POINT TO LAST WEEK WHENCHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS MONUMENTSWERE REMOVED IN WILMINGTONDELAWARE AND CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY.ARGUING WE SHOULD LEARN FROM OURPAST, NOT ERASE IT.FIRST THING THAT I LEARNED INTHIRD GRADE, CHRISTOPHERCOLUMBUS DISCOVERED AMERICA.YEAH.SO MASS AN ITALIAN IMMIGRANT,OKAY.BUT HE'S TELLING YOU -- THISHERE, REPRESENTS SOMETHING TOMOVEMENT MY ITALIAN HISTORY INMAYOR SAID IN A SUITE SUNDAY WEARE AWARE OF THE GROUPS OF ARMEDINDIVIDUALS PROTECTING THESTATUE IN MARCONI PLAZA, ALLVIGILANTISM IS INAPPROPRIATE ANDTHESE INDIVIDUALS ONLY BRINGMORE DANGER WHO TO THEY WILLTHEMSELVES IN THE CITY.I'M HERE KAY TO PROTECT MYNEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE THESENEIGHBORHOOD PEOPLE DID NOTHINGTO ANYONE.AND PHILADELPHIA DISTRICTATTORNEY LARRY CHRIS INNERTWEETED HEY BAT WELDERS, SAYINGYOU'RE DEFENDING SOMETHINGDOESN'T PROVE YOU REALLY ARE ANDUSING A BAT OR ANYTHING ELSE FORAN ILLEGAL PURPOSE SUCH ASASSAULTING OR THREATENING ORHARASSING PEOPLE IS A CRIMINALACT.BACK OUT HERE, LIVE INMARCONI PLAZA, THIS IS THECHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS STATUEWHERE, AGAIN, PEOPLE HAVE BEENGATHERING INSTANT IS SATURDAYSOME PROTECT ELEMENT HAVEREPORTING LIVE IN SOUTH PHILLY,