Statue of Jefferson Davis taken down
The second Confederate-era monument in New Orleans slated for removal was taken down early Thursday.
Masked crews worked in the dark Thursday morning to remove the monument to former Confederate president Jefferson Davis. The crews’ faces were covered to protect their identity as the city has said there have been threats made against those participating in the removal. A crew could be seen atop a crane, wrapping the statue in bubble wrap.
Crews showed up shortly after 3 a.m. CT and the actual removal of the statue was done shortly after 5 a.m. as a sling and bubble wrap were put around the statue before it was hoisted in the air and put on the bed of a truck.
“This morning we continue our march to reconciliation by removing the Jefferson Davis Confederate statue from its pedestal of reverence,” tweeted New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu before the statue’s removal.
Afterward, Landrieu tweeted, “This historic moment is an opportunity to join together as one city and redefine our future. #Nola”
The monument to Jefferson Davis was erected in 1911 and had stood at its location at the corner of Jefferson Davis Parkway and Canal Street for 106 years.
Dozens of vocal opponents and proponents of Confederate-era monuments gathered amid a large police presence shortly after midnight as the second of the four Confederateera monuments was prepared for removal.
The two factions were sepa- rated behind barricades, just feet apart from each other. Shouts, insults and profanity laced the verbal exchanges.
The Jefferson Davis Memorial was removed about 2½ weeks after the monument to the Battle of Liberty Place was taken down.
The city began the process to remove the monuments late in 2015, but court challenges tied up the move until recently.
In fact, a legal challenge was heard Wednesday morning on the status of the P.G.T. Beauregard monument, which sits at the entrance to City Park.
Also slated for removal is the statue of Robert E. Lee at the city’s iconic Lee Circle. That location was the site of a large demonstration by groups dedicated to removing the monuments.
The Monumental Task Committee said Landrieu is erasing history.
“Another historic monument was removed under the cover of darkness using amateur, masked workers in armor, unmarked vehicles and equipment with a heavy police presence,” said Peter McGraw, president of the Monumental Task Committee in a statement. “Landrieu cannot be inclusive, tolerant or diverse when he is erasing a very specific and undeniable part of New Orleans’ history.”