The Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond, Virginia, has been finally removed.
The date September 8, 2021, will forever remain in history as the day Robert E. Lee’s statue, one of the largest, still-standing Confederate statues in the U.S., was removed from Richmond, Virginia.
BREAKING: Robert E. Lee statue, erected in 1890, removed from its pedestal on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia. pic.twitter.com/RGRZQXDA9n
— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 8, 2021
Last year’s Black Lives Matter protests shed a light on the symbolism the statue represents. According to demonstrators, it was a monument to white supremacy, as Robert E. Lee was a commander of the pro-slavery Confederate States Army.
As Unilad reports, crowds cheered as workers lifted the 131-year-old statue of the Confederate general. The removal of the bronze marks another step in efforts to discard statues of slaveholders and Confederate figures.
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam said the statue’s removal is “an important step in showing who we are and what we value as a commonwealth.”
The people gathered to witness the historical moment chanted “Black Lives Matter” and “Hey, hey, hey, goodbye,” as a crane lifted the 12-ton statue, The Independent notes.
Crowds cheer as massive Robert E Lee statue torn down in Virginia capital https://t.co/an6YsiABBY
— The Independent (@Independent) September 8, 2021
Levar Stoney, Mayor for Richmond, stated:
“Richmond is no longer the capital of the Confederacy. We are a diverse, open and welcoming city, and our symbols need to reflect this reality.”
