Richmond has removed its last-standing Confederate statue
Richmond, Virginia - The city of Richmond took down its last standing Confederate statue on Monday, delivering on a promise made by its mayor two years ago.
The bronze statue of Confederate general AP Hill, located at the intersection of Hermitage Road and Laburnum Avenue, was hoisted by a crane from its platform and placed onto a flatbed truck.
"Over two years ago, Richmond was home to more confederate statues than any city in the United States," tweeted Richmond mayor Levar Stoney. "Collectively, we have closed that chapter."
"We now continue the work of being a more inclusive and welcoming place where ALL belong," he added.
While some opponents claim Confederate statues are a piece of American history, others argue that they are and were built as a monument to slavery and racial oppression.
Richmond served as the capital of the Confederacy for most of the Civil War, which took place between 1861-1865. Hill was killed during the Third Battle of Petersburg, and the platform where the statues rested was his burial site.
Two years ago, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, Stoney began an initiative to purge the city of all Confederate monuments. The move has been challenged in court, but a circuit court judge ruled in October that the city can remove the monuments.
A judge has ordered that the statue be relocated to a museum, and Confederate general AP Hill's burial to be moved to a local cemetery.
Cover photo: Collage: Screenshots / Twitter / @LevarStoney