Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has announced the removal an iconic statue of General Robert E. Lee from Monument Avenue in the state’s capital, Richmond, which has been gripped by protests over racism and police brutality.
“Yes, that statue has been there for a long time. But, it was wrong then and it is wrong now. So we’re taking it down,” the Democrat governor said during the press conference.
The massive statue will be removed from its pedestal and put into storage while the administration decides on its fate.
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney announced on Wednesday plans to remove other Confederate monuments on Monument Avenue, including statues of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Generals Stonewall Jackson and J.E.B. Stuart.
The Lee monument was erected in 1890, a few decades after the end of the Civil War. The placement of confederate monuments has become a controversial topic in US politics, with some seeing them as symbol of oppression while others say they are simply a part of history and should be left alone. Lee’s memorial in Richmond was spray-painted during the recent protests over the killing of an African-American man, George Floyd, in Minnesota, which has gripped the whole country.
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