A second statue of Christopher Columbus has been removed in Newark amid a wave of such removals across the country. The monument of the Italian explorer was removed from Columbus Plaza on Bloomfield Avenue, outside the St. Francis Xavier Church, by private citizens around 6:30 p.m. Friday, according to several sources. A city spokesman confirmed that the city did not remove the monument, and declined to comment on who actually took it down. 

A video posted by a passerby showed the statue being lifted onto a flatbed truck by a crane.  The city did remove another Columbus statue in Newark’s Washington Park Thursday night. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said it was taken down to avoid the potential danger of people toppling it over, and noted it will be stored until the city can decide what to do with it.