In June 2020 American Indian Movement activists toppled the statue as part of the series of protests following the murder of George Floyd, and it was moved into storage.

The Christopher Columbus Memorial Association was then established and chapters in Minneapolis–Saint Paul and the Iron Range raised funds from Italian Americans for a statue.

[1] The statue was originally conceived as a way to counter discrimination against Italian Americans, who were considered outsiders by the earlier, predominantly Northern European settlers.

[5] A second plaque, added in 1992, claims that Columbus started "the merging of the cultures of the old and new worlds; Thereby changing forever the course and history of mankind.

"[1] In anticipation of the quincentennial of Columbus sailing to the Bahamas, the Italian American Society made a donation for the preservation of the statue in 1991.

[6] The push to remove Confederate monuments in the wake of the 2015 Charleston church shooting and the 2017 Unite the Right rally sparked discussions over the future of the Columbus statue.

[7] Native American activists and their allies argued that the statue legitimizes the myth that Columbus discovered America and creates an unwelcome environment on the Capitol grounds,[8] citing his role in genocide, colonialism, and dispossession.

Governor Tim Walz addressed the plans during a news conference[11] and Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington announced that the Minnesota State Patrol would meet with the protesters and seek an alternative resolution.

[7] Michael Forcia, a Ramsey County resident, was charged with first-degree damage to property, which could have resulted in a penalty of up to five years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.

[12] Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, previously co-authored a bill to remove the statue when she served in the Minnesota legislature.