I will try to explain what I'm watching on local Richmond television

[underpants]

The Stonewall Jackson Monument is on the ground.
This is something I never ever thought I’d see.

Not a native of Richmond. The monuments have been a part of the identity of the city for 100 years. Central to its core. These monuments towered over the city and let everyone know exactly the priorities of this place. They have been in almost every advertisement or promotion of the city.

There was a crowd of “thousands” watching and cheering. Massive thunderstorm hit just as the crane started to lift it off the base. They stayed.

5 weeks of protests and a giant leap taken by the Governor. It was Groundhog Day 2019 that his black face pictures were made public.

I’m truly amazed.

[Ohiogal]

1. That's what you call progress!

[underpants]

2. All the monuments are City jurisdiction except the Lee

The Lee statue is a state park at least inside the sidewalk.

[DownriverDem]

12. Could never

live there.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. Onlookers still gathered despite the the torrential downpour.

There's some serious neglect of worker safety going on here. They're out there in a storm with this crane and big metal object held aloft. They should have called the work off until the storm was gone.

Richmond’s monument to Stonewall Jackson, hoisted from its pedestal moments ago, is about to be lifted by forklift on to a flatbed and taken to storage. Onlookers still gathered despite the the torrential downpour.

Link to tweet

BREAKING:

Link to tweet

[ProfessorGAC]

4. I Like Traitors Who Don't Get Killed

So, Jackson's out!
Channeling PINO

[soothsayer]

5. I love this, and not just because trump will hate it

It’s so long overdue

[kairos12]

6. Somewhere U.S. Grant is applauding.

No monuments for traitors.

[warmfeet]

7. Excellent!

K & R.

I am hoping that we are at an inflection point, a significant change in the paradigm of this system - who knows.

Even incremental change is well received by me, though.

Any progress is helpful.

Keep on fighting.

[yaesu]

8. pointed out today that there have been 3 periods of US history that produced these momuments

all tied to a resurgence of white supremacy, the 1890's, the 1920's & the 1960's. They are reminders of our racist past, not historical at all. They all need to come down.

[MsLeopard]

9. +1000. nt

[BumRushDaShow]

10. +infinity

[Goodheart]

11. I've been there all afternoon

Definitely not thousands. Maybe 400 people max. I don't think this event was publicized for fear of demonstrations.

Anyway, the workers carefully took the statue down off its pedestal... and I gotta say... once standing on the ground it was very impressive. Even though its subject matter is repulsive the artwork, itself, is beautiful. Anyway, the workers carefully laid it down on its side onto a flat bed truck, covered it with a massive tarp, and as I type this they're about to roll it away.... I've left the scene, having become bored. LOL. I imagine the crowd will sing na na na hey hey goodbye as it's driven away, just as they have been all afternoon.

There was really nobody there protesting its removal, except one silver haired lady who suddenly started yelling "Bible! Leave him alone! He was a good Christian man!" LOL. At least that's what I think i heard. She was crazed. The crowd surrounded her, screaming at her to get her racist self out of there. No physical harm. Pretty entertaining.

[underpants]

16. Wish I could have been there

As you know, The new law went into effect July 1
allowing localities to deal with monuments as they see fit and not having to go through the General Assembly (Dillon rule). Stoney wasted no time. Clearly had this planned as the contractor is from Connecticut.

[Goodheart]

17. I drove past the Jeb Stuart monument a few minutes ago

Nothing happening there. I'm disappointed.

[underpants]

18. Lived 3 blocks from there

When I was finishing at VCU. Same block as Kuba Kuba if it’s still open.

[Goodheart]

19. I love Kuba Kuba.

Still open.

[TomSlick]

13. A monument to a general killed by his own troops finally comes down.

The story is that he was "accidentally" shot by confederate pickets. Of course, that's the usual story when officers are fragged by their own troops.

Whatever the truth of his death, he was a traitor and should not be memorialized.

[CatWoman]

14. ....

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213684846

[Warpy]

15. Well, it's the mayor who's getting them off city property.

I wore blackface, well, half blackface, when I was seven. It was Halloween and I was dressed as a hobo, burnt cork beard. Probably giving some yuppie the vapors just to think about it, some poor person might be offended, but fuck 'em, it was the 50s and I didn't have a hell of a lot of control.

I'm glad those Klanner era statues are coming down, the ones that tried to create a glorious past around the most sordid episode in this country's long history of sordid episodes. Maybe some modern day Klanner can donate land for a park for this shit, some of it might have minor artistic merit, it just doesn't belong on public property.