Published Saturday, July 10, 2021 5:23PM EDT Last Updated Saturday, July 10, 2021 5:23PM EDT CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - A statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was hoisted away from its place of prominence in Charlottesville on Saturday and carted off to storage, years after its threatened removal became a rallying point for white supremacists and inspired their violent 2017 rally that left a woman dead and dozens injured. Work to remove the statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee began early Saturday morning. Crews have also removed a statue of Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Spectators by the dozens lined the blocks surrounding the park, and a cheer went up as the Lee statue lifted off the pedestal. There was a visible police presence, with streets blocked off to vehicular traffic by fencing and heavy trucks.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) â Cheers erupted Saturday as a Confederate statue that towered for nearly a century over downtown Charlottesville was carted away by truck from the Virginia city where it had become a flashpoint for racist protests and deadly violence.
It was a day of palpable joy and immense relief for scores of residents and visitors who lined neighboring streets to watch the larger-than-life figure of Gen. Robert E. Lee as it was hoisted from its pedestal and taken â at least for now â to storage.
The statue s removal came more than five years after racial justice activists had renewed a push to take down the monument, an initiative that drew the attention of white supremacists and other racist groups, culminating in the violent âUnite the Rightâ rally in 2017.
Work to remove the statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee began early Saturday morning. Author: Associated Press Updated: 10:16 AM CDT July 10, 2021
A statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was hoisted away from its place of prominence in Charlottesville on Saturday and carted off to storage, years after its threatened removal became a rallying point for white supremacists and inspired their violent 2017 rally that left a woman dead and dozens injured.
Work to remove the Lee statue began early Saturday morning. Crews later removed a statue of Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.
Scores of spectators lined the blocks surrounding the park where the Lee statue had stood since the 1920s, and a cheer went up as it was lifted off the pedestal. There was a visible police presence, with streets blocked off to vehicular traffic by fencing and heavy trucks.
Robert E Lee statue removed in Charlottesville Today 05:30 am JST Today | 11:02 am JST CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va
Cheers erupted Saturday as a Confederate statue that towered for nearly a century over downtown Charlottesville was carted away by truck from the Virginia city where it had become a flashpoint for racist protests and deadly violence.
It was a day of palpable joy and immense relief for scores of residents and visitors who lined neighboring streets to watch the larger-than-life figure of Gen. Robert E Lee as it was hoisted from its pedestal and taken at least for now to storage.
The statue s removal came more than five years after racial justice activists had renewed a push to take down the monument, an initiative that drew the attention of white supremacists and other racist groups, culminating in the violent “Unite the Right” rally in 2017.
Lee statueâs removal in Charlottesville was âwatching history happen,â woman says
Lee statueâs removal in Charlottesville was âwatching history happen,â woman says
By: The Associated Press
and last updated 2021-07-10 20:13:23-04
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. Cheers erupted Saturday as a Confederate statue that towered for nearly a century over downtown Charlottesville was carted away by truck from the Virginia city where it had become a flashpoint for racist protests and deadly violence.
It was a day of palpable joy and immense relief for scores of residents and visitors who lined neighboring streets to watch the larger-than-life figure of Gen. Robert E. Lee as it was hoisted from its pedestal and taken - at least for now - to storage.