▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁an ▁issue ▁arose ▁over ▁the ▁statue ▁due ▁to ▁criticism ▁of ▁Columb us ' s ▁mist re at ment ▁of ▁the ▁native ▁people ▁on ▁His p ani ola . ▁In ▁August ▁of ▁that ▁year , ▁the ▁far - right ▁Un ite ▁the ▁Right ▁r ally ▁in ▁Char l ott es ville , ▁Virginia , ▁had ▁resulted ▁in ▁one ▁death ▁and ▁several ▁inj uries . ▁Following ▁that ▁r ally , ▁Mayor ▁Bill ▁de ▁Bl as io ▁commission ed ▁a ▁" 9 0 - day ▁review " ▁of ▁possibly ▁" h ateful " ▁monuments ▁across ▁the ▁city ▁to ▁determine ▁if ▁any ▁of ▁them , ▁including ▁the ▁Columb us ▁Column , ▁war r anted ▁either ▁removal ▁or ▁re context ual ization ▁( e . g . ▁by ▁explan atory ▁pla ques ). ▁Although ▁calls ▁to ▁remove ▁the ▁monument ▁were ▁supported ▁by ▁those ▁critic izing ▁Columb us ' s ▁actions , ▁the ▁proposed ▁removal ▁was ▁opposed ▁by ▁some ▁se ctors ▁of ▁the ▁city ' s ▁Italian ▁American ▁community ▁and ▁Columb us ▁Day ▁Par ade ▁organiz ers . ▁After ▁two ▁instances ▁of ▁v andal ism ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁including ▁one ▁incident ▁where ▁the ▁statue ▁was ▁def ac ed ▁with ▁red ▁paint , ▁full - time ▁security ▁measures ▁were ▁put ▁around ▁the ▁column ▁ahead ▁of ▁the ▁year ' s ▁para de . ▁ ▁On ▁September ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁in ▁a ▁un anim ous ▁decision , ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁Board ▁of ▁Historic ▁Pres ervation