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Christopher Columbus statue is quietly removed from Pioneer Park

Christopher Columbus no longer stands below Coit Tower, soberly surveying the vehicles in Pioneer Park.

A crane plucked the bronze statue of the Italian explorer off its pedestal and hoisted it onto a flatbed truck Thursday morning. City workers removed it on Mayor London Breed's orders following reports that protesters might attempt to tear it down during demonstrations on Friday.

"It was removed because it doesn’t align with San Francisco’s values or our commitment to racial justice. Doing it quickly was also a matter of public safety, " Rachell Axel, the San Francisco Arts Commission's director of public and private partnerships, said in an email.