If we remember correctly, it was the tragic shooting of 9 members of the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston that led the public to demand the removal of the Confederate flag from the grounds of the South Carolina State House. Other memorials with Confederate connections were vandalized and boxed up, while some students are still lobbying to have the names of their high schools and colleges changed.
The City Council of New Orleans today demonstrated that while the media and public have largely moved on from the campaign to erase all signs of the Confederate era, the effort hasn’t died. Council voted 6–1 today to authorize the removal of four statues: Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, P.G.T. Beauregard, and a depiction of the Battle of Liberty Place.
New Orleans City Council votes to remove four Confederate statues: Monuments depicting Robert E. Lee,… https://t.co/1052EYqIbD | @The_Gambit
— Breaking NOLA News (@breakingnonews) December 17, 2015
According to WDSU, council member Jared Brossett said that the monuments were symbols of oppression, and James Gray alleged that the monument to Robert E. Lee was a monument to a criminal. “It breaks my heart that in 2015 we are still having to deal with the effects of slavery,” said Nadine Ramsey.
Some activists said the council should go further and change street names associated with “white supremacy.”
Today, I signed the ordinance calling to relocate four confederate monuments so they can be remembered, not revered pic.twitter.com/mKfUJzTeuz
— Mitch Landrieu (@MitchLandrieu) December 17, 2015
https://twitter.com/1kenwilson24/status/677604583489863687
@MayorLandrieu you're relocating monuments to US soldiers. By law all Confederate troops are American veterans.
— God Emperor Reno (@EmperorReno1st) December 17, 2015
.@MayorLandrieu Erasing history DOES NOT make it go away You have embarrassed the city & state NO is now even more of a cry baby shit hole
— ⚜ ChloeCat ⚜ (@Chloecat254) December 18, 2015
More: @MayorLandrieu says monuments will be temporarily stored in a city warehouse until further plans can be developed for park/museum.
— Travers Mackel (@TraversWDSU) December 17, 2015
NOLA will remove four Confederate statues. This is HUGE! https://t.co/buiJHTujGG
— CARESHA PLEASE!!! (@_TARYNitUP) December 17, 2015
@TPM welcome to the 21st century
— Scott French (@scottfrench62) December 17, 2015
@TPM Long overdue, a real step forward from the racist history of the South. Other states should follow.
— Robots in Kashmir (@blackholetalos) December 17, 2015
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