Eric Adams moves to protect Columbus statues from Mamdani

Mayor Eric Adams’ administration wants to protect the city’s Christopher Columbus statues with an official historical landmark designations — as Columbus hater Zohran Mamdani remains front-runner to take his job.

Adams, who is set to leave office at the end of the year, said Tuesday he wants to protect the Columbus statues in Manhattan’s Columbus Circle and Astoria’s Columbus Square.

Mamdani had flipped the bird at the famous Italian explorer’s statue in Astoria and called for its removal in a 2020 social media post that riled Italian-Americans in the Big Apple.

But the official status would keep Mamdani’s clutches off the statues.

“The beauty of New York City is that we celebrate and respect all our diverse communities and cultural heritage,” Adams said. “As mayor of the city with one of the largest Italian populations in the world, I am proud that we celebrate Italian-American heritage, today and every day.

“We also recognize the contributions of our indigenous community and are proud to establish a new special grant program for cultural programs and art projects representing that community,” the mayor added.

First Deputy Mayor and “proud Italian-American” Randy Mastro said the applications for historical or landmark status will be presented to the Landmark Preservation Commission for action before year’s end — before Mamdani takes office if he wins the mayoralty.

Mastro told The Post that the Columbus statues are important symbols for the Italian-American community.

The top Adams’ aide said he won’t “prejudge” what the Landmarks Commission, whose 11 members are appointed by the mayor, will do. But the applications will get a “fair” hearing with ample public input.

“There’s a historical legacy with the statues that is undeniable,” Mastro said. “They are important statues to Italian heritage.”

Adams will also create a $750,000 fund to promote cultural and artistic endeavors in the Indigenous community, he said. Columbus Day and Indigenous People’s Day are both celebrated on Oct. 13.

“We’re not going to show the same callous disregard for any community,” Mastro said.

“We celebrate the great diversity of our city.”

Mastro did not dispute that the move to landmark the statutes is a response to Mamdani, who on June 17, 2020 tweeted, “Take it down” while showing his middle finger pointed at the Columbus statue in Astoria Square.

The Columbus Statue in Columbus Circle, built in 1896, was designated federal and state historic landmark status in 2018, efforts which were supported by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, now running as an independent against Mamdani in the general election for mayor.

But the Columbus statue in Astoria Square, unveiled in 1941, does not have any landmark protection, said Angelo Vivolo, president of the Columbus Heritage Coalition, who submitted the applications for landmark protection.

“This is a move to pre-empt Mamdani,” Vivolo told The Post. “His call to remove the Columbus statue in Astoria was offensive and insulting to the Italian-American community.”

Critics such as Mamdani have made a habit of targeting Columbus statues and Columbus Day because of the famed explorer’s treatment of Native Americans when sailing to North America.

But supporters argue he’s important to Italian Americans and his voyage was a critical moment in history.

Former Mayor Bill de Blasio had formed a committee to decide whether certain monuments and works of art in the city should stay or go after Confederate monuments were removed or relocated in the South.

The committee spared the Columbus statues, which critics said glorified the explorer whose “discovery” of North America contributed to deadly epidemics, genocide and the enslavement of indigenous people and Africans.

De Blasio said a plaque or other monument would be erected near the statue telling that side of the story.