Die-in to protest Columbus Day holiday

Beneath the Christopher Columbus statue in the square on Columbus State Community College campus, there was a die-in to call attention to the fact that celebrating Columbus Day is glorifying Christopher Columbus as a hero -- when in fact he was a conqueror responsible for the deaths of many indigenous people. Christopher Columbus was a slave trader and in reality is a symbol of colonialism, repression and genocide in our country. The die-in was staged so that Columbus State students would think about the real Columbus legacy and what it means to have such a statue as a icon on their campus. This was the first of three events happening today, October 12, 2015, to demonstrate against Columbus Day in Columbus, Ohio, so-named after the murderous conquistador. At 5:30pm, activists will gather for a protest by the Columbus statue outside the south side of Columbus City Hall, then march for a vigil on OSU campus at 7pm.