Christopher Columbus statue removed from California State Capitol

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- In Sacramento, crews are removing a statue depicting Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabella from the State Capitol.

The figure has been the centerpiece of the rotunda since 1883. It's being removed after legislative leaders decided it is out of place "given the deadly impact his arrival in this hemisphere had on indigenous populations."

RELATED: Columbus statue beheaded in CT, Frederick Douglass sculpture toppled in NY

Crews arrived early Tuesday morning to safely remove the statue made of marble.

Statues have been coming down across the country as government leaders rethink their places of prominence. Last month, the Columbus statue removed at Coit Tower in San Francisco.

RELATED: Change considered for tree in Sequoia National Park named after Robert E. Lee