A Texas mayor decided to remove a gorilla statue from a local park on Monday because of recent complaints that it was “racially insensitive,” CBS Dallas-Fort Worth reports.
The mayor, however, reversed the decision Thursday.
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Corsicana Mayor Don Denbow reacted to an influx of complaints regarding a 19-year-old caged gorilla statue in a local circus-themed park by removing it altogether, according to CBS.
This decision sparked outrage within the community as it was a staple of the park. Some were upset at the removal, while others were troubled by the fact that they had no say in the matter.
The gorilla’s removal was met with protests, signs, angry phone calls, petitions, and even a vigil.
“In a situation like this, it’s a toy for children, it’s only racist if you make it racist,” said city resident Stephen Lord, who protested the statue’s removal by remaining in the cage until it was returned.
The concerns of the public were heard as the mayor has said, just four days after the statue’s removal, a modified version of the gorilla will be returned.
“The city has assessed the structural integrity of the gorilla statue and determined with some modification that it can be placed back in the community park for children to play on or around. The cage will be removed. The city has plans to reinstall the statue as soon as weather permits,” Mayor Denbow indicated in a statement released Thursday.
The cage was initially placed around the statue as a safety measure, after the quarter-ton structure began to sway when children would play on it. Because the cage will no longer be present, the updated version of the gorilla will have to include increased structural support.
Corsicana plans to increase the number of animal sculptures to the area to make it feel more like a zoo.