MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) - The bronze statue, which stood outside El Rey grocery store on Cesar Chavez Drive since 2016, was taken down Friday morning just days after allegations of sexual abuse surfaced. 

Ernesto Villarreal, owner of El Rey, said the decision to remove the statue came quickly.

“When we heard the accusations this week, we decided to do it as soon as possible,” he said.

Chavez was widely known for organizing farmworkers and advocating for better pay and working conditions.

Now, those allegations are prompting some communities to reconsider how they honor his legacy.

Alejandro Rivera, owner of Rivera Western Wear, said the news has been difficult for many in the area. 

CBS 58

“It’s been hard for the community to hear about these accusations,” he said. “It's not been easy to see his statue removed and see all that he had done just gone.”

Rivera said it is important to prioritize those making the allegations.

“It’s a great strike to the Hispanic community,” he said. “The truth, entirely, we do not know, but we have to protect women from these allegations. In the future we might know what happened, but right now, we have to stand by the victims.”

Villarreal said the removal is also about moving forward as a community.

“The money that we’re going to get from the statue, because it was copper, they’re going to melt it, we’re going to donate the money to farmers and workers,” he said.

He added that changes could extend beyond the statue itself.

“We’re going to change the name of the street and we’re going to have the community say what name they want,” Villarreal said. “Something good.”