Charlottesville, Virginia, Removes Confederate Statue As Crowd Cheers

Work crews removed a century-old statue of a Confederate soldier from in front of the courthouse in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday morning as crowds cheered and danced, WTOP-TV reported.

Ever since the death of George Floyd on May 25, communities across the country have reckoned with what to do about statues honoring men who fought for the Confederacy, in light of the conversation on race that the Minnesota man’s death has brought about.

In some places, vandals have destroyed the statues. In others, jurisdictions have voted to take them down, in some cases with a view toward moving them to museums. Other communities have decided that the statues should remain

One such statue is Charlottesville’s “At Ready” monument. Depicting a caricature of a non-specific Confederate soldier holding his weapon, the statue has stood in the city for 111 years.

However, on Saturday morning, workers showed up to remove the 900-pound monument, known locally as “Johnny Reb.” Officials in Albemarle County had voted earlier this summer to remove it.

A crowd gathered to watch the removal of the statue. Most wore face coverings. Some wore Union Army caps, regalia associated with men who fought against the Confederacy in the Civil War. Some danced while a local radio station broadcast music. Others cheered, according to The Guardian.

Local community organizer Don Gathers was glad to see the statue go.

“This is a magnificent moment. Much of the racial tension, strife and protest we’re seeing across the country emanates from right here in Charlottesville. But now we’re moving the needle in a positive way,” he said.

However, “At Ready” is going to be neither destroyed nor put in a museum; rather, it will simply be moved to another community that has agreed to take it.

That doesn’t sit well with Jalane Schmidt, a professor at the University of Virginia.

“We feel like it’s just basically toxic waste disposal in another community,” Schmidt said.

Meanwhile, two other Confederate statues remain in the city: Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson.

The Lee statue was the focus of violent clashes in August, 2017. At the time, the “Unite The Right” rally convened on the city to protest the planned removal of the statue.

In one incident, a man drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters striking and killing Heather Heyer.

Authorities have moved to remove the Lee and Jackson statues. However, a group of supporters filed a lawsuit to stop their removal. They remain in Charlottesville, where they will stay until Virginia’s Supreme Court has issued a ruling, a process that is likely to take several months.