New Orleans Votes To Remove Confederate Monuments

The most imposing has had a commanding position over St. Charles Avenue since 1884: A 16-foot-tall bronze statue of Lee stands atop a 60-foot-high Doric marble column, which itself rises over granite slabs on an earthen mound.

The Jefferson Davis monument in New Orleans.

– Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard, who straddles a prancing horse at the entrance to City Park.

The most controversial is an 1891 obelisk honoring the Crescent City White League.

“Equity has been denied”, he said, “and one symbol of that denial is that we lift up symbols of people who supported slavery”. But that has proven to be insufficient within the wave of new calls to remove Confederate monuments across the country.

SC removed the Confederate flag from its state house and several major retailers stopped selling items carrying the “stars and bars” red, white and blue Civil War-era battle flag.

The Monumental Task Committee, Louisiana Landmark Society, Foundation for Historical Louisiana and Beauregard Camp No. 130, a Sons of Confederate Veterans chapter, are the plaintiffs.

“There may be people who only see their ancestors fighting nobly in wars”, countered an anti-monuments speaker. Anglim told those gathered Thursday to “do the right thing”. Do it for our children, and our children’s children.

The monuments targeted for removal by today’s vote were erected to remind its residents of the men who struggled, both during and after the war, to defend white supremacy. Michael Duplantier told the meeting: “We can not hit a delete button for the messy parts of our history”.

“A week ago, the council heard from the public at an hours-long meeting that went into the evening”.

According to Daily Mail, Democrat City Council President Jason Williams suggested the removal of the statues would represent “severing an “umbilical cord” which ties New Orleans to old Democrat policies like slavery and Jim Crow. The council, which voted six to one in favor, has been on the issue since July.

Former mayors, including Landrieu’s father, Moon Landrieu, have attempted to have this monument removed or altered. In Virginia, Governor Terry McAuliffe called for the removal of the flag from state-issued license plates.

Eyewitness News legal analyst “Chick” Foret said that any lawsuit would be hard to defend because of the ordinance being signed into law and that legal research done by the city and council would have taken place to protect each party.

Landrieu disputed the claim that he initiated this effort. “If it would make the city more color blind, if it would create more balance, I would sacrifice nearly any physical object to get us to that point”.

Councilwoman LaToya Cantrell said she was upset by the behavior of the mayor.

New Orleans reflects the national mood.

“I speak English, council member”, he answered. And it’s time for you to go.

Head then tried to cut Landrieu off by asking him only to respond to her direct question, which led to a back and forth during which Landrieu chastised Head for putting controversy out in the media.

Landrieu was allowed to finish his comments. Gray says his middle name Austin comes from one of his ancestors who was a slave.

Head also asked Mayor Mitch Landrieu to spell out future plans for what will happen to other monuments, such as a statue of Andrew Jackson in the French Quarter.