The nationally recognized statue became the epicenter of a protest movement in Virginia after George Floyd’s death.
Richmond, Virginia — The Supreme Court of Virginia ruled Thursday that the state can take down an enormous statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee that became widely seen as a symbol of racial injustice as it towered over Monument Avenue in the state’s capital for more than a century. The high court’s ruling came in two lawsuits filed by Virginia residents who attempted to block removal of the 21-foot (6-meter) bronze equestrian sculpture, which shows Lee in military attire atop a 40-foot (12-meter) pedestal. The court found that „restrictive covenants“ in the 1887 and 1890 deeds that transferred the statue to the state no longer apply. „Those restrictive covenants are unenforceable as contrary to public policy and for being unreasonable because their effect is to compel government speech, by forcing the Commonwealth to express, in perpetuity, a message with which it now disagrees,“ the justices wrote. Northam announced his decision in June 2020, 10 days after under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer sparked protests over police brutality and racism in cities across the country, including Richmond. The nationally recognized statue became the epicenter of a after Floyd’s death and its base is now covered with graffiti.
