Crews remove one of U.S.'s largest remaining monuments to the Confederacy, a towering statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia, U.S., September 8, 2021. Steve Helber/Pool via REUTERS

Ben Burke Producer

U.S.

One of the last and largest Robert E Lee statues finally comes down

Sep 08, 2021

Ben Burke Producer

By Ben Burke (Producer)

One of the largest statues honoring Confederate generals in America came down Wednesday. Officials in Richmond, Virginia removed a statue of Robert E. Lee. The video above shows the statue coming down, as well as comments from Gov. Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring.

The 21-foot sculpture sat atop a granite pedestal nearly twice that tall. It had been standing since 1890.

Virginia officials brought in a deconstruction crew surrounded by a heavy police presence to take down the statue. State, capitol and city police officers closed streets for blocks around the statue by using heavy equipment and barriers to keep away crowds and possible protestors.

The statue was being cut into at least two pieces so that it could be hauled to a state-owned facility until a decision is made as to where to put it. Gov. Northam has said his administration will seek public input on that matter.

The pedestal will stay in place for the time being. However, workers are expected to remove the decorative plaques and take out a time capsule in the area on Thursday.

“This was a long time coming, part of the healing process so Virginia can move forward and be a welcoming state with inclusiveness and diversity,” Northam said. He was on hand to witness the removal. Northam said the statue represented “more than 400 years of history that we should not be proud of”.

Northam ordered the statue taken down last summer, citing the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and subsequent nationwide protests. “We put things on pedestals when we want people to look up,” Northam said when announcing the removal plan last June. “Think about the message that this sends to people coming from around the world to visit the capital city of one of the largest states in our country. Or to young children.”

Virginia residents filed two separate lawsuits attempting to block the removal of the statue. However last week, Virginia’s Supreme Court ruled unanimously to allow the statue to come down, saying it “communicates principles that many believe to be inconsistent with the values the Commonwealth currently wishes to express”.

Gov. Ralph Northam, (D) Virginia: “This is a long time coming, part of the healing process for Virginia to move forward, to embrace diversity, to be a welcoming state, to be inclusive, and they let people know that our lights are on and our doors are open.”

“I want to thank the city of Richmond, the people of Richmond and people all across the Commonwealth for doing the right thing after 402 years of history that we should not be proud of. This is a step in the right direction. It’s a big day for Virginia.”

Mark Herring, Virginia Attorney General: “This is a great day in Virginia. With the removal of this grandiose monument to a past that no longer represents who we are as a Commonwealth. We can turn the page to a new chapter, a the chapter that is full of hope, healing and inclusion, and one that will tell Virginia’s history fully and to tell it truthfully and accurately.”