New Orleans Takes Down Another Confederate Statute

City's mayor says removal of Jefferson Davis statue a "march to reconciliation."

May 11, 2017 10:27 am
The Jefferson Davis Statue in New Orleans.
The Jefferson Davis statue stood across the street from First Grace United Methodist Church in New Orleans, on April 3, 2016. (Photo by Ben Depp for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The Washington Post/Getty Images

New Orleans crews wearing masks and body armor removed another prominent statue celebrating the Confederacy era, NBC News is reporting.

The move comes after lengthy legal battles and demonstrations, and the statue of the Confederate president Jefferson Davis is one of four total monuments relating to the Confederacy that city officials will remove.

“This morning we continue our march to reconciliation by removing the Jefferson Davis Confederate statue from its pedestal of reverence,” New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu tweeted early Thursday morning.

Tense protests were carried out nearby, with some demonstrators arguing that the statue is a totem of racism and white supremacy, while others see it as a part of the region’s history.

The Liberty Monument, an 1891 obelisk honoring the Crescent City White League, was removed in late April.

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