After more than three decades of controversy, the Thomas Fallon statue in San Jose is coming down.
The city council voted unanimously in 2021 to remove the statue and on Tuesday, crews with jackhammers started that process.
The 1,200-pound bronze sculpture depicts Captain Thomas Fallon raising a U.S. flag in San Jose on what was then-Mexican land. Ever since the statue of one of San Jose’s first mayors went up at Julian and St. James streets, it has been controversial -- with some saying it represents racism and oppression.
Crews began the process of removing the statue from its pedestal, something James Dominguez and his tribe fought for years to see happen.Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter. “It’s like having a statue of a tyrant in the middle of San Jose. We're trying to move forward from this, not move back,” said the member of Muwekma Ohlone Tribe SF Bay Area.“It represents racism, it represents genocide,” said White. “It represents parts in history that, of course, they need to be remembered, but not be celebrated.”
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Controversial Thomas Fallon statue taken down in San JoseCrews in San Jose on Tuesday began taking down the controversial statue of Thomas Fallon.
Read more »
San Jose businesses face violent encounters, repeated property crimes“San Jose will not become San Francisco,” Mayor Matt Mahan said
Read more »
Pedestrian in San Jose hit-and-run dies weeks after crashThe San Jose Police Department is investigating a hit-and-run that killed a man weeks after he was struck while crossing the street.
Read more »
Sideshows break out in San Jose; police issue citationsSan Jose police broke up sideshows and write citations over the weekend.
Read more »
San Jose: Four arrested after police sideshow bustThe San Jose Police Department arrested four in response to an apparent sideshow at Almaden Road and Curtner Avenue on Sunday night, authorities say.
Read more »
San Jose Police Respond to Multiple Illegal Sideshows, Issue CitationsSan Jose police responded to mutiple illegal sideshows Sunday night and were seen issuing citations to some of the people involved.
Read more »