Baltimore removes Confederate statues

Work crews took down Confederate monuments in Baltimore overnight into Wednesday, days after white nationalists led a deadly protest over the planned removal of a Confederate statue in Charlottesville, Virginia. Monuments to Robert E. Lee, commander of the pro-slavery Confederate army in the American Civil War, and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, a Confederate general, were dismantled from the city's Wyman Park Dell after the city council on Monday approved the removal of four statues. The dismantling of the monuments comes after a rally by white nationalists protesting against plans to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee sparked clashes with anti-racism demonstrators in Charlottesville on Saturday. Saturday's violence appears to have accelerated the drive to remove memorials, flags and other reminders of the Confederate cause across the United States.

By: CNN

Baltimore removed at least two Confederate statues early Wednesday after a white nationalist rally to protect monuments turned deadly in Virginia over the weekend.

The Baltimore City Council voted unanimously Monday to immediately remove four Confederate monuments, CNN affiliate WBAL reported. The council recommended the Maryland Historical Trust give permission for the removal before it can go forward.

By early Wednesday, at least two monuments had come down. Video posted on social media showed cranes slowly lowering them from their perches.

The removal comes as cities and states are considering taking down Confederate monuments following the clashes at the rally in Charlottesville, which left one woman dead.

Statues in Lexington, Kentucky, are expected to be removed while in Durham, North Carolina, a woman was arrested in the toppling of a Confederate statue during a protest this week.

In New Orleans, the final Confederate statue came down in May.

The memorials removed in Baltimore were the Roger B. Taney Monument, and the Robert E. Lee and Thomas. J. Jackson Monument, according to the affiliate. Mayor Catherine Pugh told the affiliate that some of the monuments will be sent to Confederate cemeteries.

The Southern Poverty Law Center last year cataloged 718 Confederate monuments and statues. It said about 300 of them are in Georgia, Virginia and North Carolina.

Actions

Baltimore removes Confederate statues

Get the forecast