Tensions Remain High Over Christopher Columbus Statue At Marconi Plaza

Trang Do reports.

SPRUCE STREETS IN CENTER CITY.WE WILL BRING YOU AN UPDATE ASSOON AS WE LEARN MORE.MEANTIME, STATUE STAND-OFFCONTINUES THIS MORNING, INSOUTH PHILADELPHIA.YES, RESIDENTS HAD BEENSTANDING GUARD AT THECHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS STATUESAYING THEY WERE THERE TOPREVENT THE CITY FROM TEARINGIT DOWN."EYEWITNESS NEWS" REPORTERTRANG DO LIVE THIS MORNING INSOUTH PHILLY AT MARCONI PLAZAWITH THE LATEST DETAILS THERE,TRANG THE WAY IT LOOK OVER THEWEEKENDED THE CROWD HERE NOWGONE, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE THESEBARRICADES REMAIN AROUND THISHERE AT THIS PLAZA, NOW THOSEWE SPOKE TO OVER THE WEEKENDHERE, SAID, THEY WERE PRE TECHTHE STATUE AND PROTECTINGTHEIR HERITAGE WHILE MAYORKENNEY CHARACTERIZED THOSE WHOWERE ARMED, AS VIGILANTE'S.BUT TAKE LOOK AT THIS VIDEO.PEOPLE BEGAN GATHERING AROUNDTHIS CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUSSTATUE AT MARCONI PLAZA ONSATURDAY.NOW, SOME WERE ARMED WITHASSAULT RIFLES, OVER WITHBATS.NOW PEOPLE IN THE CROWD TOLD"EYEWITNESS NEWS" THEY WEREPROTECTING THE STATUEFOLLOWING THE CITY REMOVAL OFTHE FRANK RIZZO STATUE AND THETAKE-DOWN OF COLUMBUS STATUESIN CAMDEN AND WILMINGTON.NOW CROWDS RETURNED SUNDAY,AND THINGS GOT TENSE AT TIMESWITH THE ASSAULT OF JOURNALISTFROM LEFT WING MEDIA OUTLETUNICORN RIOT AND ARGUMENTSERRUPTING BETWEEN PEOPLE WHOWANT THE STATUE TO STAY ANDOTHERS CALLING IT FOR IT TO BEREMOVED.THEY ARE DOING THE SAMETHING THAT COLUMBUS DID,COMING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD,TAKING AWAY OUR HERITAGE.NOT AGAINST ITALIANS TREPRESENTS MASSACRE, THEYMURDERED PEOPLE.AND DA LARRY KRASNERWEIGHED IN ON THEDEMONSTRATIONS SUNDAYTWEETING, QUOTE, HEY BATWIELDS ERR SAYING YOU AREDEFENDING SOMETHING DOESN'TPROOF YOU REAL ARE ARE.USING BAT OR ANYTHING ELSE FORILLEGAL PURPOSE SUCH ASOMUGHAHALTING OR THREATENING ORHARASSING PEOPLE IS A CRIMINALACT.NOW TAKING A LIVE LOOK BACKHERE AT MARCONI PLAZA, NOWSTATUE IS SAFE FOR NOW.THE CITY SPOKESPERSON TOLD"EYEWITNESS NEWS" THERE ARE NOPLANS TO REMOVE THE STATUEFROM MARCONI PLAZA.NOW OR ANY TIME IN THE NEARFUTURE.BUT FOR NOW LIVE FROM SOUTHPHILADELPHIA.