Tampa's Columbus Day controversy continues

By now, many people know Christopher Columbus did not discover America, and that he did brutalize Indigenous people into near non-existence. 

• So why do we still have Columbus Day? And why does Tampa still have a statue and park dedicated to him?

Driving the news: Indigenous Alliance activists demanded once again that the statue be removed in a protest outside the South Tampa statue yesterday.

Flashback: Last year, there was talk in City Hall of potentially moving the statue. But the city decided instead to protect it with round-the-clock TPD guards.

What they're saying: Creative Loafing's Justin Garcia writes, "The monument glorifies Columbus and the blood that was drawn by his sword. It pridefully displays a man who slaughtered innocent women, children and men with his crew. … Whatever mental gymnastics people might make to dress-up Columbus' history, it's a disgrace that a statue on Tampa city property still celebrates such a man."