New London — At the empty lot where the city's statue of Christopher Columbus had stood less than a week ago, demonstrators and members of local indigenous tribes gathered Wednesday evening.

A drum circle was formed and, dressed in regalia, tribal members danced to traditional songs. They were followed by speakers, then a moment of silence for George Floyd, in a rally held to recognize the removal of the statue.

The death of Floyd, a black man killed by police while handcuffed during a routine detainment in Minneapolis last month, sparked weeks of protests across the country — and even around the globe — against systematic racism and police brutality. During one of those protests here, on June 6, demonstrators demanded the removal of the statue of Columbus.

Mayor Michael Passero had the statue taken down Sunday to keep it safe and give the council time to deliberate its fate. The council voted 6-0 late Tuesday to remove it, not only from Columbus Square at the corner of Bank and Blinman streets, but from display on any public property in the city. The New London Police Department also announced it would not be pursuing charges in the "incidents of criminal mischief" during the June 6 demonstrations, when the statue, a police substation and a cruiser were spray-painted.

"We're standing on beautiful soil and beautiful land," rally organizer and City Councilor Curtis Goodwin said Wednesday at the square. "And this, today, is called history."