{"id":2296689,"date":"2024-07-16T17:34:02","date_gmt":"2024-07-16T21:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chicago-mayor-plans-removal-of-george-washington-statue-in-city-hall-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-07-16T17:37:13","modified_gmt":"2024-07-16T21:37:13","slug":"chicago-mayor-intends-to-remove-george-washington-statue-from-city-hall-washington-examiner-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chicago-mayor-intends-to-remove-george-washington-statue-from-city-hall-washington-examiner-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago mayor intends to remove George Washington statue from City Hall &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fchicago-mayor-intends-to-remove-george-washington-statue-from-city-hall-washington-examiner-2%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2296689&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has decided to remove a statue of George\u2062 Washington from City Hall, citing the need to update the space. The decision, according to a \u200c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hunter-biden-defector-emails-pipeline-to-obama-admin-seen-as-currency\/\" title=\"Hunter Biden Defector Emails: &#039;Pipeline&#039; to Obama Admin Seen as &#039;Currency&#039;\">top aide<\/a>, is not related to Washington being a slave owner. The statue is located outside\u2062 Johnson&#8217;s office\u2064 on the\u200b fifth floor. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/donald-trump-the-bidens-got-rich-while-americans-got-robbed\/\" title=\"Donald Trump: &#039;The Bidens Got Rich While Americans Got Robbed&#039;\">mayor&#8217;<\/a>s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/psakis-fresh-lie-about-biden-throws-presidents-media-aversion-into-the-spotlight\/\" title=\"Psaki\u2019s Fresh Lie About Biden Throws President\u2019s Media Aversion Into The Spotlight\">communication director<\/a> mentioned that the city should\u200d consider honoring other Chicago\u2062 icons\u200b with\u200c statues as\u200b well. There is no \u200dspecified timeline\u200d for the removal or the cost involved. Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa is \u200dleading discussions on what to do with monuments and statues, potentially creating a public area dedicated \u2064to monuments. The plan\u2063 to remove\u200c the statue has faced criticism\u200d from Ald. Nicholas Sposato, who believes Washington&#8217;s \u200ccontributions to the \u200bcountry \u200dshould be acknowledged.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Chicago mayor plans removal of George Washington statue in City Hall<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1675943\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Chicago Mayor<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/brandon-johnson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title> Brandon Johnson<\/a> has decided to remove a statue of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/george-washington\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>George Washington<\/a> in City Hall, but, according to a top aide, the decision has nothing to do with the first president being a slave owner.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The statue is located on the fifth floor right outside Johnson&rsquo;s office, but the Democratic mayor&rsquo;s communication director, Ronnie Reese, told the <em>Chicago Sun-Times<\/em> that the statue is being removed because the mayor is looking to make updates to the space.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re just freshening up the space,&rdquo; Reese told the outlet. &ldquo;Making it a bit more current. There&rsquo;s a lot of Chicago icons who would be deserving of statues as well. We should be considering that also &mdash; Ida B. Wells, DuSable, Harold Washington.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson responds to a question in his City Hall office during an interview with the Associated Press on Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo\/Charles Rex Arbogast)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There is no time frame for when the statue will be removed, and it has not been publicly disclosed how much it will cost the city.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Reese said Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa is leading the charge for what to do with the monuments and statues.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I know he has an idea of having like a public area in which we could put monuments and make it kind of like an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-york-state-assembly-moves-to-rename-donald-j-trump-state-park\/\" title=\"New York State Assembly Moves To Rename Donald J. Trump State Park\">open space<\/a>, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chicago-mayor-intends-to-remove-george-washington-statue-from-city-hall-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Chicago mayor intends to remove George Washington statue from City Hall - Washington Examiner\">park space dedicated solely<\/a> to monuments, which I think is actually a pretty decent idea,&rdquo;&nbsp;Reese told the outlet.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson&rsquo;s plan has been met with fierce criticism by Ald. Nicholas Sposato, the chairman of the City Council&rsquo;s Committee on Cultural Affairs and Special Events.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s George Washington. He risked everything,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We are who we are because of this man. He could have just stood down and not get involved with the [Revolutionary] War and came here and lived a good life. But he fought for who we are. He should be honored all over the place. Next, are we gonna change the name of the streets?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Johnson&rsquo;s plan to remove Washington&rsquo;s monuments follows former Mayor Lori Lightfoot&rsquo;s decision to &ldquo;temporarily&rdquo; remove two Christopher Columbus statues during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 ignited by the death of George Floyd.<\/p>\n<p>This led to City Hall launching an advisory committee, known as the Chicago Monuments Project, to review 5,000 Chicago statues and monuments that could be deemed problematic. The commission found 41 monuments that could be deemed problematic, including that of Washington (not the one in City Hall) and Abraham Lincoln.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>At the time of his death, Washington owned 317 men, women, and children as slaves at his Mount Vernon home. He had also found himself uncomfortable with how slavery was affecting the trajectory of the nation, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mountvernon.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Mount Vernon website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;When he drafted his will at age 67, Washington included a provision that would free the 123 enslaved people he owned outright,&rdquo; the website states.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1675943\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1675943\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, has decided to remove a statue of George Washington from City Hall, citing the need to update the space. The decision is not related to Washington being a slave owner, according to a top aide. There is no set timeline for the removal of the statue, and the cost to the city has not been disclosed. Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa is leading the effort to determine what to do with monuments and statues in the city. The plan has faced criticism from Ald. Nicholas Sposato, who believes Washington should be honored for his contributions to the country. This decision follows the temporary removal of two Christopher Columbus statues in 2020, and the launch of the Chicago Monuments Project to review potentially problematic statues and monuments in the city<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2542,"featured_media":2296690,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/brandon-johnson-1024x592.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[4387,35255,33289,4602,7457],"class_list":["post-2296689","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-chicago","tag-city-hall","tag-george-washington","tag-mayor","tag-statue"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/brandon-johnson-1024x592.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2296689","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2542"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2296689"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2296689\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2296690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2296689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2296689"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2296689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}