Doherty, an organizer with Showing Up for Racial Justice, asked Mayor Mike Signer not to oppose whatever decision is made about removing the statue. Along with Councilor Kathy Galvin, Signer voted against removing the statue.

“If we truly want to be the capital of the resistance, then let’s show some leadership on this difficult issue,” Doherty said. “Respect the 3-2 vote of the City Council and work with your colleagues to move forward as quickly as possible in removing this racist statue from our midst.”

The three councilors who voted to remove the statue said last week that they are not interested in the option of moving the statue to McIntire Park.

Genevieve Keller, a member of the city’s Planning Commission, also spoke about the possibility of the statue being relocated. Keller said she wants the council to make sure that any decision about the statue be made openly and with consideration of how the public might access it if it’s relocated.

“Any relocation should stipulate continued access to the resource. It should be conducted in a manner that promotes the preservation and protection of the resource,” she said. “The city could even contemplate continued ownership and pursue relocation alternatives that might be based on a loan or co-ownership basis to ensure continued curation.”