The city’s controversial Christopher Columbus statues will likely be removed soon, officials said. The statues in Grant Park and Little Italy have been the subject of high-profile protests in recent weeks — including one Friday in Grant Park where police and protesters violently clashed, leaving dozens of people injured. At that protest, people scaled the statue, threw ropes around it and tried to pull it down.

Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) said Mayor Lori Lightfoot told aldermen of her plan to have the statues removed. Initially the removal was to take place Thursday night, but Hopkins said the timeline could not be confirmed. The mayor’s office was not immediately available for comment.