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.
