'Save Our Statue' rally held ahead of NYC vote on Thomas Jefferson sculpture
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- The fate of a Thomas Jefferson statue at New York City Hall will be determined next week with a vote by the Public Design Commission, but both sides are digging in as the controversy continues about historical markers.
The statue is set to be moved to the New-York Historical Society by the end of the year, where it will be included in educational exhibits with the proper historical context that likely will include discussion of Jefferson's slave ownership.
Last June, the City Council sent a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio and the commission calling for the statue to be removed from the council chambers.
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The commission will vote on placing the statue, which dates back to 1833, on "long term loan" to the Historical Society.
The vote is on its "consent" agenda, meaning there will be no public debate. The commission will review public statements and make its decision.
Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa held a "Save Our Statue" rally at City Hall Thursday, demanding the statue stay put.
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Sliwa said if the statue is moved and he wins the election, he will rescind the order and return it to City Hall.
His Democratic opponent, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, has said he is in favor of change street signs named after former slaveholders.
"Would that include Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and James Madison who was the author of the Bill of Rights?" Sliwa said. "What is Adams' position on the removal of the Thomas Jefferson Statue from City Hall?"
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