Appellate court rejects Columbus Monument Corp.’s request for rehearing over downtown Columbus statue

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A New York state appellate court rejected the Columbus Monument Corporation’s rehearing request for its argument to block the city of Syracuse’s removal of the Christopher Columbus Monument in downtown Syracuse.

The court also blocked the corporation’s attempt to take its case to the state’s highest court. The corporation’s motions came after the appellate division overturned State Supreme Court Justice Gerard Neri’s ruling that the city could not remove the statue in July.

Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh first announced plans to remove the statue in 2020 and replace it with a heritage site that represents many backgrounds. The CMC filed its lawsuit in opposition of Walsh’s plans in May 2021.

Although Neri originally ruled in the CMC’s favor in March 2022, Walsh appealed and several local organizations filed amicus briefs in support of the monument’s removal. The appellate division’s July ruling stated that the city could proceed with the administrative steps to remove the statue.

“My goal has always been to create a public place that is welcoming to all and honors Italian American heritage,” Walsh wrote in a Monday press release. “We will continue on that path following the steps in state and local law and involving the community along the way.”