Former head of the Emancipation Support Committee Khafra Kambon has called the relevant authorities to remove the statue of Christopher Columbus that’s fixed in the heart of the capital city of Port-of-Spain.
Kambon, during his virtual Emancipation address yesterday, made the call noting that the world have been removing monuments of those who created atrocities to many around the world.
“So there are those in authority who worship them even despite what is going on around all over the world with the destruction of monuments, they are pulling down the monuments in their country of those of their fore-parents whom they felt went beyond any standards of humanity in bringing oppression to others in the world and they are breaking those statues and we in T&T right in the heart of our City are still preserving Columbus,” Kambon said.
In 2020, there was a petition calling for the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue which grew to over 8,000 signatures in less than a week in June. There was also an incident were some eager activists took the call a step further by defacing the monument in Port-of-Spain.
The statue was covered in red “Danger” tape, the bust was covered with a black garbage bag and a sign with the word “Murderer” was hung on it.
Contacted for comment then (in 2020), Port-of-Spain mayor Joel Martinez called for cooler heads to prevail until a formal decision can be made on whether the statue should be removed or not.
“This is one of the things we try to tell people, this is not the way to do it and we are currently having a discussion if you have a view, we are listening to your view but you are not going to force me to make a decision by doing this. As a matter of fact, this may even deter my decision,” Martinez said.
He said although the statue is controversial, it has been in that spot since 1881 and to vandalise it is against the law.
This year’s celebration marks 183 years of celebrations.
