City Council Votes to Permanently Remove Robert E. Lee Monument from Downtown Fort Myers
Dave Elias, NBC 2, January 21, 2021
A 55-year-old monument honoring Confederate General Robert E. Lee in downtown Fort Myers was ordered to be taken down.
{snip}
The Sons of Confederate Veterans removed the bust last May during nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd.
Last September, city council ordered permanent removal of the bust. However, it made an appearance last weekend when the Sons of Confederate Veterans returned it to the pedestal to celebrate Lee’s birthday.
Wednesday night, city council ordered the entire monument removed.
“I hope they respect the fact there is a time capsule in here, and that’s my concern,” said Historian Joanne Miller.
Miller is with the Lee Historical Society, and she said her concern is with the Civil War relics buried inside.
However, the President of the Lee County NAACP James Muwakkil said whatever is underneath the monument needs to go and should be thrown into the river. He referred to the monument as a hate symbol.
