Virginia's Statue of Confederate Commander To Be Removed Tomorrow

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Fox News reported that the statue of US Confederate General Robert Edward Lee, located in Richmond, Virginia, will be removed tomorrow, Wednesday, after the state Supreme Court voted to allow it to be removed.

General Lee was a high-ranked American military leader that led the Army of the Confederate forces in the American Civil War.

The 130-year-old statue is Virginia's largest monument to the Confederate Rebellion. "This is an important step in showing who we are and what we value as a Commonwealth," said Ralph Northam, Virginia's Governor - a Democrat - in a statement on Monday.

In a press release, the state announced yesterday, Monday, that "The commonwealth of Virginia will remove the largest Confederate statue remaining in the United States - the statue of Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue in Richmond - on Wednesday, September 8, following authorization by all three branches of state government, including a unanimous decision last week by the Supreme Court of Virginia."

This move comes after the Virginia Supreme Court ruled last week that the 1890-placed statue could be removed. The state justified its decision by contending that the statue was installed as part of a movement that "sought to undo the results of the war."

It is worthy to mention that the statement revealed that "five other statues would follow, as part of a housing development along Monument Avenue." Robert E. Lee's statue is the only one owned by the Commonwealth and is the last to be removed.

Governor Northam made the decision to remove the statue days after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. He hailed the court's decision to finally allow its removal as a "tremendous win for the people of Virginia."

"Virginia's largest monument to the Confederate insurrection will come down this week," said Northam in a statement. 

The statue will be kept in secure storage at a state-owned facility until a decision is made on its disposition.