The statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee is bathed in the late sun on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va., Monday, Sept. 6, 2021. The statue is scheduled to be removed by the state Wednesday, Sept. 8 after a ruling by the Virginia Supreme Court. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Confederate Monuments Lee Statue
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) —A towering statue of Confederate Robert E. Lee is coming down. Crews are set to remove what is one of the country’s largest remaining monuments to the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia.
The bronze likeness of Lee on a horse will be hoisted off its 40-foot pedestal today, 131 years after it was erected in the former capital of the Confederacy.
Many consider the statue an offensive tribute to the South’s slave-holding past. Public officials in Virginia resisted its removal until the death of George Floyd under a police officer’s knee.
Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam announced plans to take it down amid nationwide protests against police brutality and racism.
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