A society that displays and glorifies a historical figure who has a past filled with crimes against humanity, is a society that demonstrates a lack of good judgment and perpetuates an inequitable indifference on those who have been historically oppressed and denigrated.

The atrocities of Christopher Columbus are well documented. The fact that there are statues of him in the Americas points to a colonialism that is still present on these lands. Indigenous peoples live with this colonialism everyday and deal with atrocities like stolen land, stolen children, stolen culture, and stolen lives. It is bad enough that the province of British Columbia is in part named after Columbus.

The statue at Hastings Park, which is in the heart of East Vancouver where many Indigenous people live, is a symbol of hatred, a symbol of persecution, a symbol of colonialism, and a symbol of dehumanization. This statue, the colonizer it represents, and the violent dispossession he represents has no place in our city. Any suggestion that this is a topic that should be debated in the community is disrespectful to those who continue to suffer under this horrible history. Dialogue can still happen, but immediate action to remove this hurtful statue is necessary for healing and moving forward. It will help us all heal to take this statue down.

This petition is to implore the City of Vancouver to do the right thing and take the statue down from Hastings Park and ensure that it is not displayed in public spaces again. We have to take steps to address those things which cause harm in our society and in our urban landscape. We as a community find the statue and its display inconsistent with the idea of reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and we know this does not fully represent the people of Vancouver. We as a community need to hold ourselves accountable to ensure that we have public spaces that celebrate the diversity of this city and celebrate people or histories that embrace concepts that the human race can be proud of. We can do better.