They remove another controversial statue from the Confederate army in Virginia

An equestrian statue of a Confederate Army general was removed this Saturday from its stone pedestal in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was a symbol of white supremacists and helped inspire a violent white supremacist rally in 2017, in which a woman was killed.

Almost four years ago, the far-right march erupted into violence. Heather Heyer, a peaceful activist who opposed the Nationalists, was killed in the melee. The event sparked a national controversy over racism, particularly after the then president Donald Trump insisted that “both sides are to blame”.

Busts and statues commemorating Confederate generals and officers, as well as the flag of the Confederate army, are seen by some as a symbol of pride or identity, or a historical heritage or military emblem that only symbolizes the heritage of the states from the South, but others regard them as a symbol of racism, white supremacy, bigotry and slavery.

Work to remove the statue of General Robert E. Lee began early Saturday. The crews were preparing to remove then a second monument to the Confederate army: that of General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.

Dozens of onlookers surrounded the park and cheered as the statue was removed from the pedestal. There was a visible police presence, with streets blocked to vehicular traffic by fences and heavy trucks.

Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker delivered a speech in front of reporters and observers as the crane approached the monument.

“Taking down this statue is a small step toward helping Charlottesville, Virginia, and the United States deal with the sin of being willing to destroy black people for financial gain.” Walker said.

Plans to remove the statues were hampered for years by a cumbersome legal battle and the passage of a rule protecting war monuments.

The statues will be brought to safety, but their pedestals will remain in place. The city council will have to decide what to do with the statues. Under local laws, the municipality had to offer them to anyone interested, during a period that ended on Thursday.

A coalition of activists praised the municipality for removing the statues after the bidding period ended. “As long as these statues remain in our public spaces, they send the message that our community tolerates white supremacy and the Lost Cause that these generals fought for.” Said the coalition of activists, called Take ‘Em Down Cville.