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On Indigenous Peoples Day, Syracuse’s Columbus Circle was filled with a scattering of Italian flags for a Columbus Day wreath laying ceremony. Following the ceremony, over 100 people gathered near the Columbus statue.

The event was held by the Columbus Monument Corporation, an organization that advocates for the city of Syracuse to keep the statue in place instead of relocating it.

John and Leigh Ann Tumino, who are co-founders of In My Father’s Kitchen, and Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon were honored at the event. The group directly helps people experiencing chronic homelessness by providing food and basic necessities, John Tumino said.

While the agenda centered on the ceremony, politics and controversy surrounding the Columbus monument fueled the conversations at the event.

A red car positioned itself between the statue and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. On its front passenger side door, a sign addressed Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh saying, “DON’T TOUCH THE COLUMBUS MONUMENT.”

Another attendee held a sign saying, “SAVE WESTERN CIVILIZATION FROM COMMUNISM.”

Daniel Ciciarelli, the 3rd Ward councilor for the town of Salina, attended the event wearing a pin featuring a photo of the Columbus statue. The statue, Ciciarelli said, was originally constructed to bring Syracuse’s Italian community together.

“It was the only thing the Italians could agree on, to come together and do together,” Ciciarelli said. “So that this is more of a centerpiece where we can all come together and be one.”

The statue of Columbus is a point of controversy throughout the country and in Syracuse — a controversy Ciciarelli said he understands. The statue is more about the community of Syracuse than the history of Christopher Columbus, he added.

“As this statue is concerned, it’s not who’s on it, it’s how it came to be,” he said.

Dale Vigliott, a Liverpool resident who attended the ceremony, said the event was a celebration of Christopher Columbus.

“A lot of people are proud of the Columbus Circle and the statue. It’s representative of the immigrants who came here many years ago,” she said.

On the outskirts of the crowd, Chris Sinatra, a local teacher in Syracuse, wore a “BLACK LIVES MATTER” shirt. For much of the time following the ceremony, Sinatra spoke with police officers and attendees.

A crowd gathered in Columbus Circle on Monday morning for a Columbus Day wreath laying.  Kyle Chouinard | Asst. News Editor

Conversations between the police and Sinatra, who also is involved in Rebirth SYR, a local organization that has advocated for police reform, ranged from issues of reducing police budgets to how police should conduct themselves.

The actions of Columbus, Sinatra said, were wrongfully used as a justification for the killings of Indigenous people and other people of color.

“They’re still being discriminated against: Native American people, Indigenous people, Black people,” he said.

Vigliotti said that the controversy surrounding the statue of Columbus was hard for her, as she said she descended from Indigenous people. She said that instead of removing the statue, the city should find an alternative solution that keeps the statue in its place and fairly represents the history of different groups of people in the U.S.

“It was built on the backs and the blood, sweat and tears of one immigrant group,” she said. “Let’s not tear down one group, and let’s bring up other groups.”

Ciciarelli wanted people who are not in the Italian American community to learn from Monday’s event. When he attends an event of any culture, he’s there to learn and educate himself, he said.

“I wish more people would come to these different events of all different things,” he said.

Published on October 11, 2021 at 11:06 pm

Contact Kyle: kschouin@syr.edu | @Kyle_Chouinard