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Hundreds Honor Columbus at Wreath-Laying Ceremony Annual Wreath-Laying Ceremony held at Columbus Circle

By Erik Slater

Slater: A plan by Mayor Ben Walsh to remove the Columbus Statue has been a point of controversy in Syracuse.

Despite this, over a hundred people gathered in Columbus Square to celebrate the holiday Monday morning.

Former County Executive, and current member of the Columbus Monument Corporation, Nick Pirro, says the debate did not take away from the celebration.

Pirro: It was a beautiful day, the ceremony was just as its always been and most of the people here have faith that the courts will rule that the Mayor has no authority to take the statue down.

Slater: The Columbus Monument Corporation is a group of Syracuse residents fighting for the preservation of the eight-decade-old statue.

The group filed a petition in state court in May, challenging Mayor Walsh’s authority to remove the monument.

Illacqua, another member of the corporation, says Columbus is an irreplaceable symbol of Italian American ancestry.

Illacqua: To us, he’s a symbol of the pride that our father and grandfathers felt, and grandmothers felt in coming here to this country and creating a new world. He’s a symbol of that. We can’t take that away, we can’t take that away.

Slater: Minor protests gathered at the statue during and prior to the celebration.

According to Illaqcua, the court’s ruling will not change future celebrations on the holiday.

Illacqua: Regardless of what happens, we are still gonna celebrate Columbus Day. The Columbus Monument Corporation is gonna continue to exist and continue to grow and continue to do good things in this community.

Slater: It won’t be all celebrations at the statue today.

Later today, the Women of Italian and Syracuse Heritage and Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation will host another wreath-laying ceremony as a ‘Replace Columbus Observance’.

The two groups have been heavily involved in the push to remove the statue. In Syracuse, Erik Slater, NCC News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Over one hundred people gathered at Columbus Circle Monday to honor Christopher Columbus with an annual wreath-laying ceremony.

The event was organized by the Columbus Monument Corporation, a group dedicated to the preservation of the statue. Over a hundred people, some draped in Italian flags and others sporting pins in support of the statue, attended the event.

Widespread criticism of Columbus, and a plan by Mayor Ben Walsh to remove the statue pending ruling on a lawsuit, have driven some in the Syracuse Italian community to fight back. Member of the corporation, and former Onondaga County Executive, Nick Pirro, said the controversy did not take away from the celebration.

“It was a beautiful day, the ceremony was just as it has always been and most of the people here have faith that the courts will rule that the mayor has no authority to take the statue down,” Pirro said.

Anthony Ilacqua, another member of the corporation, said Columbus is a symbol of pride for Italian-Americans and their ancestors. According to Ilacqua, the corporation has received support from people of many backgrounds in favor of preserving history.

“It’s not just Italians, it’s the people who make up this country, this great country. It’s the people who make up this country from all over the world, and the sense is you’re moving us in the wrong direction, you’re moving us backward,” said Ilaqcua.

Several protests were held at the site later in the day celebrating Indigenous People’s Day. The Women of Italian and Syracuse Heritage, a group dedicated to promoting historical truth, and Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation, a group promoting education on the Native American group, hosted another wreath-laying ceremony protesting the monument.

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