The statue of Christopher Columbus in downtown Syracuse must stay where it is, a judge ruled today. State Supreme Court Judge Gerard Neri ordered Syracuse and Mayor Ben Walsh not to remove the statue as Walsh had planned. The Columbus Monument Corp. and other supporters of the statue sued in May, hoping to stop the city from removing the statue in response to criticisms that Columbus contributed to slavery and oppression.

Neri agreed with the group’s argument that Walsh does not have the legal authority to remove the statue. The city has “no legal right to alter the piece of art known as the Christopher Columbus Monument or remove same or any part of it from its present place on St. Mary’s Circle, commonly known as Columbus Circle, in the city of Syracuse,’' Neri wrote.