Philadelphia Officials Say No Plans To Remove Christopher Columbus Statue From Marconi Plaza

Matt Petrillo reports.

TONIGHT AT 10 PROTESTERSCHANTING KENNY MUST GO OUTSIDEA HOME IN PHILADELPHIA ANDTHEY'RE FIGHTING POTENTIALREMOVAL OF CHRISTOPHERCOLUMBUS STATUE IN SOUTHPHILADELPHIA MARCONY PLAZA.I'M JOE HOLDEN.PROTESTERS PLANNING TO REMOVETHE STATUE REACHED A CESEN DOEON BLASTING THE MAYOR.MATT PETRILLO HAS BEENTRACKING BACK AND FORTH ALLEVENING.WHAT DID YOU LEARN WHEN YOUSPOKE WITH A CITY OFFICIAL.CITY SPOKESPERSON TOLD METHERE ARE NO PLANS TO REMOVETHE CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUSSTATUE FROM MARCONY PLAZA INSOUTH PHILADELPHIA.THAT IS NOT STOPPING A GROUPOF PEOPLE FOR GUARDING IT FORA SECOND NIGHT.MANY PEOPLE TELL ME THEY WANTVOYSZ HEARD SO THEY MARCHED TOA HOME EARLIER WHERE THEYBELIEVE THE MAYOR WAS AT.WE'RE HERE BECAUSE WE WANTANSWER FROM KENNY THAT'S WHY.SDOZENS CAME TOGETHEROUTSIDE OF A NO SOUTHPHILADELPHIA SUNDAY CONCERNEDCITY LEADERS ARE PLANNINGREMOVE THE CHRISTOPHERCOLUMBUS STATUE NEARBY ATMARCONY PLAZA.HE'S ITALIAN IMMIGRANT.BUT HE'S TELLING YOU --LET'S HIM SPEAK.THIS REPRESENTS SOMETHINGMY ITALIAN HISTORY.LAST WEEK THE CHRISTOPHERCOLUMBUS MONUMENTS WERE TAKENDOWN IN DELAWARE AND NEWJERSEY.THEY'RE DOING THE SAMETHING COLUMBUS DID THEY'RECOMING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ANDTAKING AWAY OUR HERITAGETHEY'RE HIP CITS.THOSE STANDING GUARDAROUND THE STALT USAY WESHOULD LEARN FROM OUR PAST NOTERASE IT.I'M HERE TODAY TO PROTECTMY NEIGHBORHOODS.DOZENS OF NEIGHBORS KEPTAROUND THE CLOCK WATCH OFSTALT UHERE IN SOUTH PHILLYSINCE SATURDAY AFTERNOON.THAT'S WHEN WE FOUND SOMEARMED WITH BATS OTHERS WITHGUNS AND ALL PATROLLING THEPLAZA WHILE POLICE WORK TOKEPT SITUATION CALM.HOW SCARED ARE YOU?IF YOU SO SCARED --TENSIONS ROSE SATURDAYWHEN MEMBER OF LEFT WINGORGANIZATION CALLED UNICORNRIOT REFUSED TO LEAVE AND HISBICYCLE TIRES WERE SLASHED.WE'RE AWARE OF THE GROUPSOF ARMED INDIVIDUALSPROTECTING THE COLUMBUS STATUEIN MAR KOBE STATUE.ALL VIGILANTISM ISINAPPROPRIATE AND THESEINDIVIDUALS BRING MOREDAIVRPING TO THEMSELVES ANDTHE CITY BUT NOT EVERYONEAGREES.AT THE END OF THE DAY IT'SNOT ABOUT THE STATUE.IT'S ABOUT THE RIGHTS EVER THEPEOPLE.AND YOU GIVE INTO TERROR BYLETTING PEOPLE DESTROY ANDTHEN GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT.AGAIN A PHILADELPHIASPOKESPERSON SAYS THERE ARE NOPLANS TO TAKE DOWN THECHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS STATUEHERE AT MARCONY PLAZA.NOT TONIGHT AND NOT IN THEFUTURE AT THIS MOMENTFUTURE AT THIS MOMENT.IN THE MEANTIME THEY TELL USTHEY WITH STAYING OUT A SECONDNIGHT TO PROTECT IT AND MAKESURE IT IS NOT TAKEN DOWN.REPORTING LIVE, MATT PETRILLO,