California city council caves to mob, votes to remove statue of Catholic saint

VENTURA, California — The Ventura City Council has voted to remove a statue of St. Junípero Serra from its location outside its City Hall. Statues of the 18th-century Catholic missionary have become a target for vandalism and destruction across California in recent weeks. Earlier this week, the council unanimously voted to remove both a bronze statue of Serra located on public property in front of City Hall and a wooden replica currently kept inside the City Hall buildings. The bronze statue will be relocated to the Mission San Buenaventura, one of nine mission sites founded by Serra, while the eventual destination of the wooden statue is yet to be determined.