Crews are taking down Confederate monuments in New Orleans.
It started the dismantling of the Battle of Liberty Place statue erected in 1891 to honor members of the Crescent City White League who died in a battle against city police and state militia. Workers inspecting the statue were wearing helmets and flak jackets while police watched from a parking garage.
The statue removal has been a controversial subject for some residents who feel the monuments represent the city's history. Some people have even made death threats against people who want to remove them.
Supporters of the monuments held a candlelight vigil at a nearby statue of Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy.
Mayor Mitch Landrieu says the Liberty Place monument is one of four the city intends to move to a place where they can be put in a historical context. He said the statues don't reflect the city's current values of diversity and inclusion.
The other monuments are statues of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and P.G.T. Beauregard.
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