A petition asking Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh to take down the Christopher Columbus statue in the city now has nearly 8,000 signatures. The mayor says he wants to ensure any discussion made about the statue is one that contributes to a healing process and does not do more harm to the Syracuse community.

The debate surrounding this statue is of course nothing new, usually flaring up around what is historically known as Columbus Day - a day that some believe should instead be called Indigenous People's Day. That day isn't for another 4 months - instead, this petition is linked to the Black Lives Matter movement.