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Protesters cover Portsmouth Confederate statues in sheets, trash bags

Published  June 10, 2020 11:44am EDT
Virginia
Associated Press

Portsmouth Confederate statues trash bagged

Protesters in Portsmouth, Virginia, covered statues at a Confederate monument in the city with sheets and bags Wednesday, several hours after the city’s council members had a meeting about relocating it. (Courtesy - Kimberly Wimbish)

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - Protesters in Portsmouth, Virginia, covered statues at a Confederate monument in the city with sheets and bags Wednesday, several hours after the city’s council members had a meeting about relocating it.

RELATED: Virginia lawmakers approve Confederate monument removal bills

A white sheet that read “BLM” covered the fence in front of the monument after the Portsmouth city council met Tuesday to discuss its removal, WVEC-TV reported. Mayor John Rowe proposed allocating $100,000 to remove the statue and possibly relocate it to a local cemetery.

RELATED: Richmond judge issues order halting Lee statue removal for 10 days

The question about who owns the monument has been a roadblock in the city’s long quest to remove it. During the council’s meeting Tuesday, Rowe asked the city attorney if Portsmouth has the right to move the 127-year-old memorial. In 2018, a judge denied the city’s claim to own it because no one else had tried to claim it.

The local chapter of the NAACP and protesters have called for the 54-foot monument to be taken down.

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A recent bill signed by Gov. Ralph Northam will allow cities to move or alter Confederate monuments they own starting July 1.

BLM protesters cover Portsmouth Confederate monuments in trashbags

Protesters in Portsmouth, Virginia, covered statues at a Confederate monument in the city with sheets and bags Wednesday, several hours after the city’s council members had a meeting about relocating it. (Courtesy: Kimberly Wimbish)