New York Mayor Bill de Blasio on Friday weighed in on the Columbus Circle debate and he, along with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, believe the statue should remain in place.

Speaking to reporters at his daily briefing, the mayor said his stance is based on a 2017 recommendation by a city commission, which said the statue should remain, and that a monument honoring Indigenous Peoples should also be constructed nearby to provide historical context.

“The commission did really careful, extensive work…really good, devoted people who care about understanding all of history and care about social justice and came up with a vision for how to address this. We should, I think, just stick to what was achieved by that commission,” de Blasio said.

On Thursday, Gov. Cuomo had this to say, after statues were toppled in Boston, Richmond and at the Minnesota Capitol building:

“I understand the feelings about Christopher Columbus and some of his acts, which nobody would support, but the statue has come to represent and signify appreciation for the Italian American contribution to New York,” Cuomo said during a briefing in Albany. “For that reason, I support it.”

On Sunday, Italian Americans planned to peacefully convene at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park in Boston, where a Columbus statue was beheaded by protesters and subsequently taken down by the city.

However, that protest has been canceled as members of Boston’s Italian American community will instead meet with Mayor Marty Walsh and leaders from the North End community:

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