A court had to order Philly to uncover its Columbus statue

A Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled that Philadelphia must uncover a statute of Christopher Columbus that the city has been attempting to remove from a park due to racial injustice demonstrations.

Senior Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt ruled Friday that the City of Philadelphia’s plywood box covering the statue must be removed after the Friends of Marconi Plaza filed a request for the cover to be removed, NBC Philadelphia reported.

“We are very disappointed in the Court’s ruling,” Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney’s spokesperson Kevin Lessard said. “While we will respect this decision, we will also continue to explore our options for a way forward that allows Philadelphians to celebrate their heritage and culture while respecting the histories and circumstances of everyone’s different backgrounds.”