A statue of Stonewall Jackson is seen uncovered in Justice Park, in Charlottesville, Va. (Zack Wajsgras/The Daily Progress via AP)
The city of Charlottesville finalized plans to remove two statues depicting
Civil War confederate leaders. The city announced a statue of Robert E. Lee as well as a nearby one depicting Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson would be removed on Saturday.
The stone bases of the statues are set to remain temporarily, with a later date expected to be set for complete removal. This comes after years of campaigning by civil rights activists, who have asserted they promoted white supremacy and racist ideals, to remove the statues.
The City of Charlottesville will conduct a removal project for its two Confederate statues on Saturday, July 10, 2021. Designated public viewing areas for the removals will be established in both parks.
Read full press release here: https://t.co/dzsabETqwA— Charlottesville City (@CvilleCityHall) July 9, 2021
On June 7, Charlottesville City Council passed a resolution to remove the statues into secured storage. The council has yet to decide what to do with the statues once they have been stored, but have received multiple requests from various museums and historical societies to take over ownership.
Preparations for the statue’s removal have begun, with fencing installed around the area and designated viewing spots established for those who wish to observe the removal.
Source: One America News Network
