Richmond officials and Governor Ralph Northam appear poised to remove the statues of Confederate generals on Monument Avenue.
Richmond’s mayor and a city council member say they’ll introduce an ordinance on July 1st to remove the city’s Confederate Monuments. That’s the day a new state law goes into effect giving local governments more control over such monuments.
The statues on Monument Avenue have been a focal point for protesters over the past few days. They're covered in graffiti and a protester even tried to saw through one of them. A statement from the mayor's office says Stoney and Councilman Mike Jones will introduce the ordinance to remove all of them.
The city has a monument commission that’s been studying what to do with them. Stoney's statement said he appreciates the commission's recommendations, "but times have changed, and removing these statues will allow the healing process to begin...."
The Associated Press reports that Governor Ralph Northam will announce the state will remove the Lee monument. Unlike the other statues, that one is owned by the state so separate action must be taken. A senior administration official told The Associated Press that the governor will direct the statue to be moved off its massive pedestal and put into storage while his administration seeks input on a new location.
Northam will hold a news conference at 11:00 a.m. Radio IQ will broadcast the news conference live.
