Statue of Jefferson Davis Torn Down in Richmond, Virginia
AP, AJC, June 11, 2020
Protesters tore down a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis along Richmond, Virginia’s famed Monument Avenue on Wednesday night.
The statue in the former capital of the Confederacy was toppled shortly before 11 p.m., news outlets reported.
Richmond police were on the scene, and videos on social media showed the monument being towed away as a crowd cheered.
About 80 miles away, protesters in Portsmouth beheaded and then pulled down four statues that were part of a Confederate monument on Wednesday, according to media outlets.
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The crowd was frustrated by the Portsmouth City Council’s decision to put off moving the monument. They switched to throwing bricks from the post that held the plaque they had pulled down as they initially worked to bring down the statue.
The Pilot reported that they then started to dismantle the monument one piece at a time as a marching band played in the streets and other protesters danced.
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A flag tied to the monument was set on fire, and the flames burned briefly at the base of one of the statues.
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[Editor’s Note: Here is a video of the aftermath in Richmond. Here is a video of the Portsmouth monument toppling on a rioter.]
