Bridgeport protesters say they are "horrified" after a local parks board voted to return a Christopher Columbus Statue to Seaside Park.

Residents rallied Saturday after the local parks board voted to reverse a decision by Mayor Joe Ganim had made to order the figure be taken down in July.

The statue has been a magnet for controversy amid racial unrest in the country. Organizers of the rally say the effort to ban the statue from public property needs to trace it back to its roots.

"It represents a history of slavery and oppression and we will fight tooth and nail to make sure that statue does not get put back up here," said Pastor William McCullough.

The Parks Board voted to return the statue to its pedestal within 45 days.
One local official who supports bringing the statue back says none of her constituents has complained about the issue because it's not important to them.

"Not a single one has texted me, called me, emailed me or contacted me directly about concerns for the Columbus statue," says Maria Pereira. "They care about issues that directly impact their lives, taxes, the COVID-19 pandemic, how to return their children and grandchildren to the public schools safely, police reform, quality of life issues."

She says people can protest all they want, but the vote by the Parks Board was the final decision.