A federal court has given the City of New Orleans the go-ahead to remove four prominent, controversial monuments dedicated to the Confederacy.
The City Council voted to move the monuments to less prominent locations in 2015, following the killing of nine African Americans in a South Carolina church by Dylan Roof, who identified with the Confederacy. In response to that vote, three historic preservation groups and the Sons of the Confederacy sued to block the removal.
The three monuments approved for removal honor Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and P.G.T. Beauregard, as well as Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
A district judge ruled that removal of the monuments would not cause harm to the groups, and an appeals court agreed.
“This win today will allow us to begin to turn a page on our divisive past and chart the course for a more inclusive future,” said New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu in a statement.
