Virginia's Public Radio

Virginia Supreme Court Rules State Can Remove Lee Statue

Protesters gather around the Lee Monument in 2020.
Mallory Noe-Payne

The Supreme Court of Virginia has ruled that the state can take down an enormous statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond.

Virginia Supreme Court Rules On Lee Monument Cases
Brad Kutner reports on the ruling from Richmond.

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The 1890 monument was once celebrated but is now widely seen as a symbol of white
supremacy and Black oppression.

The court’s ruling on Thursday came in two lawsuits filed by private citizens who attempted to block the statue’s removal.

Read the ruling in the Gregory lawsuit
Read the ruling in the Taylor lawsuit

Gov. Ralph Northam announced his plan to take down the statue last June, 10 days after George Floyd’s death under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer sparked widespread protests in cities across the country, including Richmond.

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