In a new meme, netizens are suggesting names to replace Christopher Columbus statues

After a statue of Christopher Columbus was decapitated in Boston and subsequently removed, many people have chimed in with their own ideas about who should replace him. From filmstars to Italian food, all have made it to the list.

Black Lives Matter, Christopher columbus, George Floyd, Racism, US, Winston Churchill, confederate monuments pulled down, racists monuments vandalised, replace columbus statue meme, viral news, indian express

As protests continue to pull down controversial statues, people are suggesting popular characters to replace such figures.

With anti-racism protests raging across the US and other countries, an intense re-examination of historical figures over racial injustices has come to the forefront. Following George Floyd’s death and spread of Black Lives Matter movement, various confederate monuments have been either been pulled down or vandalised. And one controversial figure has come back into the spotlight— Christopher Columbus.

Protesters in many US cities have called for the removal of statues of Columbus, arguing that the Italian explorer is responsible for the genocide and exploitation of native Americans. Statues of the 15th-century explorer and the Spanish conquistadors who followed him and colonized much of the Americas have become targets for demonstrators in US cities but not in Spain, where he is celebrated widely.

And as photos of a beheaded Columbus statue standing in a waterfront park near Boston’s traditionally Italian North End neighbourhood went viral, with appeals to remove any of his statues elsewhere, some have come up with memes to deal with the situation. However, some still justified his statues remain in place. Many including NYC mayor argued that in some way it represents the Italian American legacy in this country and the Italian American contribution in the country. So now, people are demanding to replace with more “deserving Italians” or character loved by all.

Replace all statutes of Christopher Columbus with other famous Italians. pic.twitter.com/w4BDudhXUm

— Dave Quinn (@NineDaves) June 11, 2020

replace the columbus statues with sacco and vanzetti

— jes skolnik (@modernistwitch) June 11, 2020

Tear down every Columbus statue, replace them with statues of Marty

— Chris Evangelista (@cevangelista413) June 10, 2020

Replace all Christopher Columbus statues with the Italian-American that matters most. Jaboukie

— idiot online (@caileydavern) June 12, 2020

It’s time to replace Columbus with a real Italian hero. pic.twitter.com/wMLEYt7gSM

— ☄️ACAB Calloway☄️ (@songforacarter) June 12, 2020

You’ve heard of mario and luigi but how about some actual italian-american candidates to replace Christopher Columbus statues pic.twitter.com/CTw6POMFea

— every villain is lemons (@tudiscojoseph) June 11, 2020

replace the christopher columbus statue with a one of him pic.twitter.com/mBH8QYR6mO

— star wars archive (@starwrsarchive) June 11, 2020

If we’re looking for famous Italians to replace statues of the genocider who didn’t know how to navigate, I think there’s really only one real option here pic.twitter.com/6WmzNiDtPR

— Nick 💿 (@nlabosco) June 11, 2020

replace all christopher columbus statues with a far more deserving italian pic.twitter.com/ILkJWLTr7E

— keaton kilde (@keatonkildebell) June 11, 2020

replace the statue of columbus with an actual hero pic.twitter.com/qwHfjcEzpj

— The Video Game Super Show! Show (@showshowpod) June 11, 2020

Replace all Columbus statues with Danny Devito statues

— A Very Good Jamie (@jamie_agust) June 12, 2020

Replace all the statues of Columbus with statues of Columbo pic.twitter.com/2y3w7vKIrI

— Alex Zalben (@azalben) June 11, 2020

Tear down the Christopher Columbus statue in downtown Columbus, and replace it with another statue of Corn, you cowards. pic.twitter.com/MTR1ZrPISE

— Jaron R. M. Johnson (@JaronRMJohnson) June 12, 2020

personally i propose that we tear down the current statue at Columbus Circle and replace it with: pic.twitter.com/uVjDNFe0VV

— james holod kennedy (@jamesholod) June 10, 2020

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In the wake of Floyd’s death in police custody, rage has extended to statues of slave traders, imperialists, conquerors and explorers around the world, including Christopher Columbus, Winston Churchill, Cecil Rhodes and Belgium’s King Leopold II, among others.

As of now, three statues of Columbus have been pulled out or vandalised by demonstrators in the US. In St. Paul, demonstrators toppled a ten-foot-tall statue installed in front of the Minnesota state capitol. Protesters in Richmond pulled down the statue in Byrd Park and set it on fire first before throwing it into the nearby Fountain Lake. In Boston, police received a report that a marble statue of the Italian explorer and colonizer had lost its head on Wednesday. The Columbus statue was also taken down in Camden, New Jersey. The city of Camden released a statement Thursday evening calling the statue in Farnham Park, a “controversial symbol” that has “long pained residents of the community.”

[with inputs from AP]

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