Detroit removes bust of Christopher Columbus from downtown

The City of Detroit has removed a bust of explorer Christopher Columbus from a downtown spot after 110 years.

Mayor Mike Duggan told reporters Monday that the bust has been placed in storage until its future could be determined.

The move comes as cities across the world protect or remove statues and public monuments that celebrate people linked to the subjugation of minorities.

In 2015, the statue that stands on the corner of East Jefferson and Randolph streets was vandalized witha hatchet affixed to the head and red paint.

The Detroit Columbus bust was a gift from the readers of an Italian newspaper in honour of the 400th anniversary of Columbus' death.

By the 1990s, a new generation of Indigenousactivists blamed Columbus for launching centuries of Indigenous genocide.

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