Four years after a protester was killed in protests in the American city of Charlottesville, the statues that sparked the unrest are being removed. The equestrian statues of Generals Lee and Jackson were towed away and taken to a storage.
The statues are controversial because they pay tribute to generals of the Confederate states. They fought for the preservation of slavery during the American Civil War (1861 to 1865).
In 2016, a black student started a petition to have the images removed. Opponents soon filed objections, which led to a lengthy process. For example, a law first had to be amended that prohibited the removal of a commemorative sign to the Southern states.
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In 2017, Charlottesville was the scene of demonstrations by supporters and opponents of the images for days, including a far-right torchlight procession under the motto Unite the right. During those demonstrations, a woman was killed who protested against the statues.
President Trump’s response sparked further unrest as he stressed that “both sides” were to blame for the escalation.
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The mayor of Charlottesville hopes the disappearance of the images can lead to reconciliation. “This brings Charlottesville, Virginia and the US closer to coming to terms with the fact that black people were once destroyed for economic gain.”
“It’s about time,” says Zyahna Bryant, who started the petition against the images. “No platform for racism, no platform for hate.”
The images will go into secure storage for the time being, until the city has found a new destination for them. Ten suggestions for this have now been received by the municipality.
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