Columbus Monument Corp. will appeal ruling that would allow Syracuse to proceed with statue removal

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UPDATE: August 2, 2023 at 10:50 a.m.

The city of Syracuse will now be able to begin the process of removing a downtown statue of Christopher Columbus, overturning a previous ruling from State Supreme Court Justice Gerard Neri.

The Columbus Monument Corporation announced Tuesday its intent to appeal Friday’s decision from the appellate division of the New York State Supreme Court. The CMC said the ruling needs to be reviewed by the New York Court of Appeals, the state’s highest level of appeals court, according to syracuse.com.

CMC has not yet filed an appeal as of Wednesday morning.

In March, Neri ruled in favor of the Columbus Monument Corporation, a group that advocated for the statue to be kept up to honor Italian American heritage. The Columbus Monument Corporation filed a lawsuit in May 2021 arguing Mayor Ben Walsh didn’t have the legal authority to take the statue down.

With Neri’s decision overturned by an appellate court in Rochester, the city can move forward with the administrative approval steps to remove the statue.

Walsh immediately appealed Neri’s decision, and arguments for the case were heard in March. Local advocacy groups Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation and Women of Italian and Syracuse Heritage filed a joint amicus brief in support of the city’s removal plan.

In a statement Friday, Walsh wrote he intends to follow through with his plans for a heritage and education site that emphasizes the area’s diversity in place of the statue. Walsh announced his plan to remove the statue and rename Columbus Circle in October 2020 amid national concerns about the history of colonialism behind such monuments.

Walsh wrote that the ruling is a win for the Syracuse community.

“Our goal has always been to create a public space that is welcoming to all and honors Italian American heritage,” he wrote. “We can do both without holding on to a symbol of colonialism in the heart of downtown Syracuse.”

Previously, Walsh has said he planned to relocate the statue to a different venue while keeping the remaining monument and fountain to honor Italian Americans.

The city of Syracuse will continue to follow the steps within state and local law to formally remove the statue, Walsh wrote on Friday.

“I stand committed to working with all parties in creating this public space and preserving history,” Walsh said.