Chicago Mayor Lightfoot has Christopher Columbus statue removed from downtown square

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot early Friday had a statue of Christopher Columbus removed from the city’s downtown Grant Park.

The statue was removed following clashed last week between police and protesters who tried to take it down, arguing the European explorer was responsible for the genocide and exploitation of native peoples in the Americas, according to the Associated Press. 

Crews used a large crane to remove the statue at about 3 a.m. 

Lightfoot reportedly said the statue was being removed in the interest of public safety.

Protesters in other U.S. cities have also called for the removal of Columbus statues in their public spaces. They toppled and removed one in Baltimore and another in Richmond, Virginia.