icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
10 Jul, 2021 13:19

Removal of Confederate statue in Charlottesville causes division, with protesters calling it an erasure of history

Removal of Confederate statue in Charlottesville causes division, with protesters calling it an erasure of history

The removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville polarized Americans on Saturday, as the United States continues to take down monuments that are now deemed too controversial.

In 2017, the proposed removal of the statue led to the infamous Charlottesville Unite the Right rally, during which a protester against the event was killed during a car attack.

Now, nearly four years after the rally, Charlottesville, Virginia has taken down the statue, with Mayor Nikuyah Walker calling it “one small step closer” to making the US “grapple with the sin of being willing to destroy Black people for economic gain.”

Also on rt.com 'All the statues were Democrats,' Rep. McCarthy says, as 67 Republicans join Dems in vote to pull Confederate busts from Capitol

The removal was praised by some Americans, who called it “a great change” and called for the statue to be put in a museum or melted “into copper piping for a toilet.” One person even called for the Confederate flag to be banned next.

Others, however, accused the city of Charlottesville of erasing US history, wasting taxpayer’s money, and virtue signaling.

“No. No more monuments taken down. No more history removed. Ever,” protested conservative commentator Jesse Kelly. “Stop negotiating with terrorists who use your values against you. That’s how we lose.”

168 Confederate statues, monuments, and symbols were removed in 2020 alone, with even more being taken down this year.

Also on rt.com Queen Elizabeth II statue toppled in Canada on national holiday, marred by grim discoveries of unmarked graves at Catholic schools

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!

Podcasts
0:00
24:55
0:00
28:50