Sons of Italy of Hammonton, New Jersey relocates Christopher Columbus statue

HAMMONTON, New Jersey (WPVI) -- Sons of Italy of Hammonton, New Jersey plans to relocate their Christopher Columbus statue Friday.

The plan is to move the statue from its current public location at South Egg Harbor Road to its organization located at North Third Street.

This following recent tension in South Philadelphia over the Christopher Columbus statue at Marconi Plaza Wednesday, June 17.

Thursday, June 18, city crews put boards around the base of the statue before covering Columbus with a tarp.

In Trenton, New Jersey the Christopher Columbus statue has been covered after it was vandalized Tuesday, June 16.

An issued statement from their Facebook page said in quote:

"In a proactive measure, the Giuseppe Garibaldi Lodge of The Order of Sons of Italy in Hammonton is relocating the long-standing Christopher Columbus statue from its current public location at South Egg Harbor Road, to their organization located at North Third Street on Friday, June 19, 2020.
"Throughout time, cultures have preserved their legacy with monuments, plaques, memorials and statues. Today, where the determination of what is a socially acceptable method of recognizing historical significance is swayed by public opinion, it's imperative that these cultures continue to preserve their unique heritage. As a result of the current social environment, the Italian-American service organizations of Hammonton mobilized to conserve our tribute honoring Christopher Columbus. The monument will be protected by relocating it to a place where it'll be appreciated without fear of vandalism," President Nicholas LaGuardia said. LaGuardia continued, "let us be clear, this undertaking was not motivated by fear, but it was voluntarily driven by necessity. Conversations were ongoing with the required representatives about moving the statue well before the current state of affairs. However, it became necessary to promptly preserve one of the more important representations of Italian-American culture and heritage - Christopher Columbus. Therefore, the local Italian-Americans came together with this effort because we're proud of the contributions of those who came before us and helped make America what it is today."