Philly’s ‘Viking Statue’ is in the River – Just in Time for Leif Erickson Day

Yep, it’s that time of year again!

PHILADELPHIA, PA – For just over a decade Keystone United has made October the month they hold their “Leif Erickson Day Celebration”, where members and supporters would attempt to march to Boathouse Row on Kelly Drive where the “Viking Statue” – a statue of Thorfinn Karlsefni – stood overlooking the Schuylkill River. For most of those years, they were met with antifa opposition, and were often kept from holding the rally as they would plan, and after the 2013 outing they attempted to keep their annual plans quiet so antifa would not know when they are coming out. Sometimes, as was the case last year, the statue would be defaced with red paint and anti-Nazi slogans prior to the event.

Last night, the Viking Statue had been pulled from the pedestal it stood on for almost 98 years and is now submerged in the Schuylkill River, just a week before the Columbus Day weekend, which is often the weekend that KU holds their event.

According to 6 ABC, the statue was pulled down by a rope by unknown persons into the river. It remains there as police investigate. Karlsefni was an Icelandic explorer who came to North America around 1010, but left after only three years. Icelandic sculptor Einar Jónsson was commissioned to sculpt the statue in 1914 for Philadelphia and there is another casting of the statue in Reykjavík, Iceland.

No plans were made public by KU regarding any event being held this year, and no arrests have been made regarding this incident.