Richmond's Robert E. Lee monument, a symbol of BLM protests, will be removed

In the United States, the state of Virginia may decide to remove the capital city of Richmond’s disputed Robert E. Lee memorial, the monument that has become world-famous as the most iconic symbol of the Black Lives Matter movement’s protests. That was determined by a unanimous ruling by the Virginia Supreme Court, which established the authority for the Commonwealth (i.e., the state) of Virginia to decide whether to remove the statue, which is also the largest and most important Confederate monument in the United States. The ruling came following two proceedings initiated by as many citizens who wanted the removal of the giant, 20-foot-tall statue in which the Confederate general is portrayed on horseback, wearing his uniform, atop a pedestal that is 12 feet high.

“Today’s decision,” Virginia Governor Ralph Northam said in a statement, “is a great victory for the people of Virginia. Our monuments are symbols of who we are and what our values are. When we celebrate leaders who fought to preserve a system based on the enslavement of human beings, we are celebrating a lost cause that has burdened Virginia for too many years.” This ruling, Northam concluded, “is an important step forward by the State of Virginia and the City of Richmond toward a more inclusive and just future. Today it is clear: the largest Confederate monument in the South will be removed.”

The Commonwealth of Virginia said it had been preparing for months for this historic decision, and the ruling allowed the Department of General Services to begin taking the first steps toward removing the monument, beginning with the execution of a plan to prioritize public safety. The removal of the Robert E. Lee monument, in fact, is not a simple matter: there are a number of logistical and safety issues, including road closures and the equipment needed to ensure the safe removal of the statue, which weighs a whopping 12 tons. This will be a multi-day job and could begin soon: in fact, the removal has been described as “imminent,” and social channels have already been opened to update the public on all operations.

The monument to Robert E. Lee (general of the Army of Northern Virginia and later general commander-in-chief of all Confederate forces, he was among the major figures of the Southern army during the American Civil War) will thus be removed 131 years after its installation: the work of the French sculptor Antonin Mercié (Toulouse, 1845 - Paris, 1916) who created it in his homeland (and is considered one of his best-known and most important achievements), it has stood on Monument Avenue since 1890 and had been registered among Virginia’s “Landmarks” (i.e., most important monuments) in 2006, while in 2007 it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Its presence had never been challenged until 2017, when its removal was called for following the violence unleashed after the Charlottesville riots caused by a far-right rally. However, it is only since 2020 that the statue has become the subject of persistent protests calling for its removal: the plinth, during the Black Lives Matter movement’s agitations in the summer of 2020, was covered in writing and graffiti, becoming one of the symbolic images of the protests.

Pictured: the Robert E. Lee monument after the protests. Photo Mobilus In Furniture

Richmond's Robert E. Lee monument, a symbol of BLM protests, will be removed

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