Lightfoot 'fully expects' Columbus statue to return to Grant Park

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday she "fully expects" the statue of Christopher Columbus to be returned to its pedestal in Grant Park, but not before a security plan is in place to prevent a repeat of the 2020 debacle that left dozens of ambushed police officers injured.

"I'm not gonna do anything that puts our officers in harm's way. I will probably be forever haunted by the experience of the vigilantes, who attacked our officers in Grant Park that summer. Came armed with - not signs, but frozen water bottles, firecrackers and other things that severely wounded many of the police officers (who) were there," the mayor said.

Ron Onesti, president of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian-Americans, was pleasantly surprised to learn Lightfoot expects the Columbus statue to be returned to Grant Park.

But Onesti said another Columbus statue - the one removed from its pedestal in Arrigo Park - must also be "part of the conversation."

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