As passionate protests for racial equality march on around the country and here in Connecticut, some New London residents are also taking a stand to take down a controversial statue in the city. Thousands of people have signed petitions to remove the Christopher Columbus statue, which is currently covered on its base with red spray paint.

This isn’t the first time the New London Christopher Columbus statue has been vandalized. New London Mayor Michael Passero said public works crews won't clean it off until the city council makes a decision about the future of the statue.