Italian-Americans and others bent on saving the statue of Christopher Columbus in downtown Syracuse issued a call for support today, saying they prefer to focus on the history of the statue itself rather than the controversial explorer it depicts.

More than 100 people gathered in Columbus Circle to cheer speakers including former state Sen. John DeFrancisco and former County Executive Nick Pirro. They denounced mounting calls to remove the statue because of Columbus’ historical association with slavery and the decimation of indigenous people.