Crews Inspect Richmond's Lee Statue Ahead Of Planned Removal
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Crews are being dispatched to the Robert E. Lee monument in Richmond to inspect and analyze the statue before its planned removal. But state officials say the memorial will not be moved on Monday.
Virginia's Department of General Services said in a statement that it plans to remove the statue of the
Confederate general as soon as possible. But officials said it must be done safely given the memorial's weight and height.
"The massive statue weighs approximately 12 tons, stands 21 feet tall, and has been on a 40-foot pedestal for 130 years," the agency said in a statement. "Meticulous planning is required to remove an aging monument of this size and scale safely."
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam ordered the removal of the Lee monument last week in the wake of protests in Richmond and across the country against police brutality. The protests began after the death of George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis who died after a white officer jammed his knee into his neck for nearly nine minutes.
City leaders in Richmond have also committed to taking down another four Confederate memorials that sit near the Lee statue on city land along Richmond's prestigious Monument Avenue.
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