John A. Macdonald statue removed from Victoria City Hall

A statue of Sir John A. Macdonald,Canada's first prime minister,has been removedfrom the front steps of Victoria City Hall.

The monument was taken down, wrapped in foam and strapped to a flat-bed truck on Saturday morning to be placed in storage.

City council voted to remove the statue as a gesture of reconciliation earlier this week.

More than two dozen people gathered in the drizzling rain to watch as the statue was taken away some cheering its removaland others lamenting it.

Supporters like Reuben Rose-Redwood were visibly emotional as the statue was wrapped up.

"Macdonald ... was one of the leadingarchitects of the residential schools which instigatedthe cultural genocide of Indigenous people in this country," said Rose-Redwood.

"We're here to say there's no honour in cultural genocide and it's time for the statue to go."

Protesterswrapped themselves in British Columbian and Canadian flags, singing the national anthem.

Matthew Breedentravelled from Vancouver to take part.

"It's part of our history I feel isbeing ripped right out and gutted down. I think that's just terrible," he said.

"They just pushed it right through the public wasn't allowed to have a say."

More than 100 people showed up at city hall for competing rallies hours after the statue was taken away.

City decision

City councillorsvoted to have the monument removed because of Macdonald'srole as "a leader of violence against Indigenous peoples" after a year of discussion.

During his time as prime minister, Macdonald's government oversawthe Indian Actin its formative yearsand established theresidential school system.

He also served as MP for Victoria from 1878 to 1882.

"We realized it's going to be many years of reconciliation," said Mayor Lisa Helps.

"One of the things we heard very clearly from the Indigenous family membersis thatcoming tocityhall to do this work, and walking past John A. Macdonaldevery time, feels contradictory."

Katie Hooper, executive director of the EsquimaltNation, applauded the decision.

"Removing this statue is an important step in the city's reconciliation journey, and is a symbol of progress towards and end to discrimination and oppression," Hooper wrote in a letter to Helps.

The council wasn't entirely in favour of the decision. Coun. Geoff Young said he thoughtthe issue deservedmore discussion, though he said he believes it's important to respect the feelings of those who saidthey werehurt by the monument.

A replacement plaque

A plaque to replace the statue has been installed explaining the monument's removal.

"We will keep the public informed as the Witness Reconciliation Program unfolds, and as we find a way torecontextualizeMacdonald in an appropriate way," it reads.

Victoria isn't the only Canadian government or institution rethinking honours for Macdonald.

Last August, an elementary teachers' union in Ontario called for Macdonald's name to be removed from their schools.

Three months before that, the Canadian Historical Association voted to stripMacdonald's name from one of its top writing prizes.

With files from Megan Thomas, Justin McElroyThe Canadian Press and CHEKNews

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