SAN ANTONIO — Across the country and around the world, a movement is underway to remove statues of Confederate leaders, slave owners, and colonizers.
Here in San Antonio, a move to relocate the Cenotaph on Alamo Plaza has been a topic of debate for quite some time, but now the fate of another long-time landmark statue is at stake.
Groups are taking sides on the question of whether a San Antonio statue of Christopher Columbus, located downtown in Columbus Park, should stay or go.
In Boston, a Columbus statue was removed after it was beheaded.
And here in Texas, a Houston statue of Columbus was defaced twice this week, including the removal of the landmark’s left hand. The San Antonio monument, standing silently in a park mostly frequented by people who are homeless, is already showing signs of distress from lack of maintenance.
Fountains surrounding the base of the statue are filthy and broken. Brackish water littered with garbage is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Many of the pavers that make up the foundation of the monument are cracked.
But Brandon Burkhart, of This is Texas Freedom Force, said this is one of many places worth protecting and saving. The group, he said, has been working for three years to move monument protection bills through the Texas legislature.
"I think it's absolutely foolish to try to remove our Texas history," Burkhart said.
Members of the group, which Burkhart said has seen exponential growth in recent weeks, is on watch to make sure Texas statues are not vandalized.
Burkhart said, “It's all about us trying to monitor them with armed people, whether they are visible, or they are in a location where they have eyes on it and they can come out if something does take place.”
The group also wants Texas Governor Greg Abbott to act. Burkhart said, "Either he can protect our monuments or Texans are going to pick up arms and we're going to protect them ourselves."
The monuments are important teaching tools, Burkhart said, “It's there so we do not repeat our history again."
An inscription on the base of the landmark indicates the statue was installed in 1957. Pavers nearby welcome visitors to “Little Italy.” Since 1890, the Christopher Columbus Italian Society has been an active participant in the management and use of the plaza.
While generations have enjoyed features of the plaza for years, others said they are reminders of pain and oppression. Juan Mancias is the tribal chair of the Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe of Texas.
"We're tired of making everybody comfortable. At least my people are," Mancias said. “We have to get rid of all those things that create idol worship for certain people."
Mancias said he remembers hearing elders talk about a desire to remove the statue and rename the plaza when he was a child in the late 1950s, and that progress can only be made when people listen to the concerns of others.
“I think we need to find a way to live together with our differences, and I don't think that's happening,” Mancias said.
City Council has not made a move to remove the statue, but Mancias hopes the timing might be right. Mancias said, "We're fighting the biggest enemy out there, which is ignorance."
Both groups say they welcome everyone who cares about this issue to become involved.