Officials removed the statue of Pete Wilson from its spot near Horton Plaza, following protesters’ objections to the former governor and senator’s stances on immigration.
Wilson, also a former mayor of San Diego, recently expressed his support for President Donald Trump’s re-election.
This week, protesters called for the bronze likeness of Wilson to be removed due to his support of the anti-immigrant Proposition 187 in 1994, while he sat as governor.
KUSI reported that the city, City Council, and office of Mayor Kevin Faulconer denied any knowledge of plans to take away the statue.
A statue of former Gov. Pete Wilson was removed from its post in San Diego.
“We have decided to secure and protect the statue in a place of safe keeping,” wrote the president of the non-prifit that owns the statue. https://t.co/7iMp9yO3Ws
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) October 16, 2020
The station also reported the statue sat on land owned by the Irvine Company, a major real estate development and investment firm.
The decision to remove it though, came from Horton Walk, a non-profit that owns the statue, according to KUSI.
Horton Walk’s president, Stephen Williams, said it’s unclear whether it will be returned to its place near Horton Plaza.
“We have decided to secure and protect this statue in a place of safekeeping,” Williiams told KUSI.
Local activist Enrique Morones told the San Diego Union-Tribune that “there was so much community support” to remove Wilson’s likeness. Morones, who founded the group Gente Unida, led the campaign in protest of the statue.
– Staff reports