A towering statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee will be removed as soon as possible from Richmond’s Monument Avenue, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Thursday.
The bronze equestrian statue, which sits on an enormous pedestal on state property, will be moved to storage while Northam’s administration works “with the community to determine its future,” the governor said at a news conference where the announcement was met with extended applause.
“You see, in Virginia, we no longer preach a false version of history. One that pretends the Civil War was about ‘state rights’ and not the evils of slavery. No one believes that any longer,” Northam said.
Breaking News: Virginia's governor plans to order the removal of a monument to the Confederate general Robert E. Lee in Richmond, an official said. https://t.co/cKmTBclPBJ pic.twitter.com/zrLH9HINjQ
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 3, 2020
EXCLUSIVE: Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is expected to announce plans to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond, an official has told @AP. https://t.co/hWOGkF2RFm
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 3, 2020