Charlottesville votes to remove confederate statues which were flashpoint of fatal rally

The city council in Charlottesville, Virginia has voted to remove two confederate statues of General Robert E Lee and General Stonewall Jackson from the city’s parks.

The statues were the flashpoint during the “Unite the Right” rally in August 2017 during which a self-designated neo-Nazi killed counter-protester Heather Heyer as he drove his vehicle into a crowd of people gathered to oppose the rally.

The city first planned to remove the statues after the rally but a number of residents sued the city to block the removal of the statues.

The Supreme Court of the state of Virginia ruled in April that the city is allowed to remove the statues. Advocates argue that statues of confederate generals pay respect to a history of slavery and racism.

The removal of such statues became a focal point during the racial justice protests last year which were sparked by the murder of George Floyd.

The Washington Post reported that a number of residents asked that the statues be removed during a public hearing before the council’s vote.

Residents now have 30 days to come up with ideas for what to do with the statues, such as moving them to a museum after they have been removed, according to CNN.