ST. PAUL, Minn. _ Protesters lassoed a statue of Christopher Columbus outside the Minnesota Capitol Wednesday afternoon and pulled it to the ground, saying it was a step toward healing for Native American communities.
Dozens of people gathered by the statue on the grounds outside the Capitol in St. Paul before pulling it down. Activist Mike Forcia, who said he's with the Black River Anishinabe, talked to a member of the State Patrol who had been sent to the scene to encourage protesters to follow a legal process for removing the statue.
Forcia said they had tried that route many times, and it had not worked.
The protesters then looped a rope around the statue, grabbed ahold and quickly pulled it off the stone pedestal and to the ground. The State Patrol watched from a distance, and let protesters sing and take photos with the statue for about half an hour.
State officials said they had been warned about the action via social media. It was mentioned in a news conference an hour and a half earlier with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. At the time, Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said the State Patrol would be dispatched to meet the protesters and seek an alternative resolution.
Columbus, a 15th century Genoese explorer, has long been a target of Native American activists across the nation for his role in colonizing and exploiting indigenous people.
Before the statue came down Forcia and others said Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan should address the crowd. But no elected officials came out to speak. After a discussion with a State Patrol officer, they moved to tear down the statue.
Forcia asked women to be at the front, citing them as leaders and calling attention to the large number of missing and slain indigenous women _ an issue that lawmakers have taken up in recent years after a community push.
The statue was easily removed from the base and crashed down to the pavement after a few moments of tugging. Forcia urged people to remain peaceful. There was singing, drumming and chants. One couple held up an "End white supremacy" sign. State Patrol officers called to the scene did not immediately intervene.
Jolene Engelking, of Minnetonka, saw the event posted on Facebook and brought her 9-year-old daughter Olivia to bear witness.
"We felt this was something that was so historic," said Engelking, whose mom is enrolled in White Earth Nation. "We wanted this statue down for a long time."
The Columbus statue has stood on the State Capitol grounds since 1931.
