Bill to rename Columbus Monument advances

Bill to rename Columbus Monument advances

CONSIDERING WHETHER TO*REPLACE COLUMBUS DAY, WITH"INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY"COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE ALSOTALKING ABOUT CHANGING AMONUMENT TO CHRISTOPHERCOLUMBUS IN NORTHEASTBALTIMORE, TO A MEMORIAL FORVICTIMS OF POLICE VIOLENCE.WMAR 2 NEWS' MARK ROPER ISLIVE IN NORTHEAST BALTIMORE.MARK ONE OF THE ISSUES WITHTHAT PROPOSAL, IS THAT THECOLUMBUS MONUMENT IS PRETTY*CLOSE TO ANOTHER MEMORIAL.AND ABOUT 200 FEET AWAY FROMTHE COLUMBUS OBELISK HERE IS AMEMORIAL TO*POLICE OFFICERS-- AND POLICE COMMISSIONERMICHAEL HARRISON BELIEVES IT'STOO CLOSE... THE BILL ISN'TFINAL YET -- IT STILL HAS TOPASS ANOTHER VOTE AT THE NEXTFULL CITY COUNCIL MEETING ONOCTOBER 5TH.

THEN MAYOR JACYOUNG WOULD HAVE TO SIGN OFFON IT.

THE COLUMBUS MONUMENEAR HERRING RUN IS ONE OFWHAT*USED TO BE THREE STATUHONORING CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUSIN BALTIMORE.

BACK IN JULY --WE SAW PROTESTORS KNOCK DOWNTHE 17-TON COLUMBUS STATUENEAR LITTLE ITALY AND TOSS ITINTO THE HARBOR.

DIVE CREWSWERE ABLE TO FIND PIECES OFTHAT STATUE A FEW DAYS LATER.AND A THIRD STATUE IN DRUIDHILL PARK IS STILL STANDING.BUT POLICE COMMISSIONERMICHAEL HARRISON IS*AGAINSTRENAMING THE MONUMENT NEARHERRING RUN PARK.

THECOMMISSIONER RELEASED ASTATEMENT AND WROTE HEBELIEVES VICTIMS OF POLICEBRUTALITY*SHOUL* GET AMEMORIAL -- BUT NOT THIS ONE-- AS IT WOULD PUT THE POLICEVICTIMS OF POLICE VIOLENCEMONUMENT WITHIN 200 FEET OF AMEMORIAL TO POLICE OFFICERS.HARRISON SAYS HAVING THE TWOMEMORIALS SO CLOSE TOGETHERWOULD DIMINISH THE SACRIFICESMADE BY THOSE POLICEOFFICERS..

HARRISON WRITES INHIS STATEMENT -- QUOTE "BOTHMEMORIALS ARE IMPORTANT ANDSHOULD BE PLACES OF REFLECTIONAND REMEMBRANCE FOR LOVEDONES, AND THOSE THAT VISITSHOULD BE ABLE TO DO SO IN ASETTING WITHOUT DISRUPTION ORDIVISIVENESS." COUNCILMAN RYANDORSEY, WHO REPRESENTS THATPART OF NORTHEAST BALTIMORE -SENT A REPLY TO WMAR-2 NEWS..HE WRITES QUOTE: "IFCOMMISSIONER HARRISON ORANYBODY ELSE FINDS THEMSELVESINCAPABLE OF HONORING POLICEAND VICTIMS OF POLICE IN THESAME PARK, THEN ITO IMAGINE WHAT THEIINCAPABLE OF IN THEIR HEARTS.NOW AS FAR AS CHANGINGCOLUMBUS DAY.

IT'S NOT THEFIRST TIME THIS HAS BEETALKED ABOUT.

A SIMILAR PUSHHAPPENED IN 20-16.

THE BILL TCHANGE THE HOLIDAY HAS NOWMOVED ON TO A COMMITTEE.

ANDIF APPROVED -- IT WOULD MAKETHE SECOND MONDAY IN OCTOBERIN BALTIMORE -- INDIGENOUSPEOPLE'S DAY.

LIVE INNORTHEAST BALTIMORE -- MARKROPER WMAR 2