SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A San Francisco board has decided to remove a 19th century statue that activists say is racist and demeaning to indigenous people. The San Francisco Board of Appeals voted Wednesday regarding the “Early Days” statue, which depicts a Native American at the feet of a Spanish cowboy and Catholic missionary. The statue near City Hall is part of a cluster regarding the founding of California. In April, the board unanimously voted to overturn a decision by the city’s Arts Commission to remove the sculpture. At the time, appeals board member Rick Swig called the statue “horrible” but said removing it from public view would squash free speech. Native American activists have tried to have the statue removed for decades. They renewed efforts last year after clashes broke out over Confederate monuments.