Petition calls for removal of local Confederate monument

TEXARKANA, Texas — Black Lives Matter has started a petition to remove the Confederate monument downtown.

The monument, dedicated in 1918, is thought to be the only Confederate monument in Texas to include a woman.

According to the petition, the group finds “this symbol is no longer compatible with the values and principles of modern day citizens of Texarkana.”

The goal is to reach 1000 signatures and anyone who signs the petition must live in Texarkana, Texas. As of this writing Wednesday evening, the petition had 663 signatures.

The petition is addressed to the City Council of the City of Texarkana, Texas, and can be found online at blmtexarkana.org.

The monument was the focus of an emotion and heated debate last Friday evening as people for and against its removal argued contentiously beneath it.

A demonstration in favor of removing the monument was met by counterprotesters, and about 100 people gathered to express themselves, often angrily trying to shout one another down.

There was no violence, nor any police presence, at the

demonstration organized by local activist Bess Gamble Williams, a veteran who argued for removing the monument to Confederate mothers because of the association with racism it has for many, especially African Americans.

In recent weeks, Confederate statues in several U.S. cities have been toppled, vandalized, defaced or removed by officials to prevent such a fate in the midst of protests against racism and police brutality that have swept the nation.

Staff photo by Danielle Dupree ■ Protesters and counterprotesters gather June 19 at the Confederate Mothers Monument in downtown Texarkana, Texas. Members of the groups took turns to have their say over what should be done about the statue. This week, a petition has been started to remove it.