Controversial statue of former Philadelphia mayor removed amid protests

PHILADELPHIA -- A crane lifted a long-polarizing statue of former Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo from its home outside a public building in the wee hours of Wednesday, whisking it away after recent protests against police brutality hastened its removal.

As National Guard troops deployed for the protests watched, the crane lifted the 10-foot (3-meter) bronze statue, and workers shook it from its stand outside the Municipal Services Building, across from City Hall. It will be stored until a permanent plan for its fate can be determined, officials said.

Rizzo, who died in 1991, cast a long shadow in Philadelphia. He was police commissioner from 1968-71 and served as mayor from 1972-80. His reputation for being tough on crime was coupled with complaints of racial discrimination.

Calls to remove the statue, a frequent target of vandals, had grown louder in recent years. Mayor Jim Kenney had earlier pledged to move it in 2021.

Kenney had said Monday that he "never liked" the statue and announced a plan to move it this month after it was defaced during the recent protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in Minnesota after a white police officer pressed a knee into his neck for several minutes.

"I can't wait to see it go away," Kenney said.