Officials in Dallas followed through with orders to remove a Confederate monument that was recently voted on by the city council and backed by its mayor on Thursday, September 14.
Dozens were on hand to watch as a grounds crew worked to uproot the statue of General Robert E. Lee on horseback from a park given his namesake. It took four hours to get remove the 14-foot sculpture, which had been erected in the park since 1936. The yellow vest wearing crew operated under the watchful eye of officers who were armed and prepared for a possible confrontation over the controversial move. A Confederate monuments task force organized by the city will now hold a hearing for recommendations on what to do with the historic statue, come October.
The decision to eliminate the landmark from a public site came after a lawsuit the Sons of Confederate Veterans filed to prevent its removal was dismissed in court. The move extends a trend that started after the violent "Unite The Right" Charlottesville rally in July and was taken up by cities and municipalities around the nation. Now officials will reportedly set their sights on changing the name of the park, which like the statue, is known by locals as Lee Park.
