List of monuments and memorials removed during the George Floyd protests

During the civil unrest[1] that followed the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, a number of monuments and memorials associated with racial injustice were vandalized, destroyed or removed, or commitments to remove them were announced. This occurred mainly in the United States, but also in several other countries. Some of the monuments in question had been the subject of lengthy, years-long efforts to remove them, sometimes involving legislation and/or court proceedings. In some cases the removal was legal and official; in others, most notably in Alabama and North Carolina,[2] laws prohibiting the removal of monuments were deliberately broken.

An equestrian statue covered in spray-painted graffiti with a protester in front holding a sign reading "BLACK LIVES MATTER".
Clockwise from top left:

Initially, protesters targeted monuments related to the Confederate States of America[citation needed]. As the scope of the protests broadened to include other forms of systemic racism, many statues of other controversial figures such as Christopher Columbus,[3][4] Junípero Serra, Juan de Oñate and Kit Carson were torn down or removed. Monuments to many other local figures connected with racism were also targeted by protestors.[citation needed][clarification needed]. Statues of American slave owners such as Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, and Francis Scott Key were also vandalised or removed.[5][6][7] According to the Huffington Post, by October 2020 over a hundred Confederate symbols had been "removed, relocated or renamed", based on data from the Southern Poverty Law Center.[8]

Some monuments that were not associated with the Confederacy, slavery, or racism were also targeted. In Madison, Wisconsin, the statue of abolitionist Hans Christian Heg, was torn down and thrown into a lake.[9][10][11] Protestors also tore down a statue titled Forward, by sculptor Jean Pond Miner, which depicts the embodiment of the Wisconsin state motto.[12] In Portland, a statue of an elk was removed after several bonfires lit beneath the statue caused structural damage to the statue's base.[13] A statue of York, a Black slave with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, was removed by the University of Portland after it was vandalised.[14]

In the United Kingdom, removal efforts and vandalism focused on memorials to figures involved in the transatlantic slave trade, British colonialism, and eugenics.[15][16] In Belgium, sculptures of King Leopold II were targeted due to his rule during the atrocities in the Congo Free State. In New Zealand, a statue of a British military officer John Hamilton was removed, and in India another colonial-era statue was relocated. In South Africa, a bust of Cecil Rhodes was decapitated, and a statue of the last president of the Orange Free State was taken down.

This list is limited to successful removals, and instances in which a person or body with authority has committed itself to removal. It does not include the many works that have been the subject of petitions, protests, defacement, or attempted removals, such as the Emancipation Memorial in Washington, D.C.,[17] and many statues of Leopold II in Belgium. It also does not include statues that fell or subject to attempted removals as a result of the Rhodes Must Fall movement that predates Floyd's murder by five years[18][19] such as the statue of Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College, Oxford, England.[20][21][22]

Sculptures and other monuments edit

The following monuments and memorials were removed during the George Floyd protests, mainly due to their connections to racism. The majority are in the United States and mostly commemorate the Confederate States of America (CSA), but some monuments were also removed in other countries, for example the statues of slave traders in the United Kingdom.

Notes:

  •   The monument or memorial is scheduled to be removed but is still standing.
  •   The monument or memorial has been reinstated (not necessarily in the same location).
  • Dates are in 2020 unless otherwise specified.

United States edit

The following monuments and memorials were removed during the George Floyd protests due to their association with racism in the United States. Most commemorated people involved in the Lost Cause of the Confederacy, with others linked to the genocide of Native Americans, segregation in the United States, and related issues. In a few instances, like the Montgomery County Confederate Soldiers Monument and the statue of John Mason, the monuments had already been moved from their original location, sometimes more than once, as different venues objected.

Confederate monuments edit

The Confederate States of America fought a four-year war (the American Civil War) to preserve the institution of slavery. After its defeat, all enslaved African Americans were freed and became citizens with the same rights as whites. Confederate monuments commemorate politicians, Army officers, and soldiers of the Confederacy. Most are in the former CSA states.

This table does not include Virginia, which is in a second table that follows.

Monument/memorialCityState, etc.Removal announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
Statue of Charles Linn BirminghamAlabamaMay 31, 2020Toppled by protestersToppled by protesters who unsuccessfully attempted to remove the nearby Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument.[23]


Confederate Soldiers and Sailors MonumentBirminghamAlabamaMay 31, 2020Jun 1, 2020Removed by cityThe mayor said that the $25,000 fine for violating the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act was more affordable than the cost of continued unrest. The fine was paid by July 10.[24]
[25]
[26]
[27]


Bust of Robert E. LeeFort MyersFloridaJun 1, 2020Jun 1, 2020Removed by Sons of Confederate VeteransRemoved from downtown by its owner, the Sons of Confederate Veterans.[28]


Statue of Robert E. Lee at Robert E. Lee High SchoolMontgomeryAlabamaJun 1, 2020Toppled by protestersFour people were charged with felony criminal mischief over removal of this statue.[29]


Bentonville Confederate Monument BentonvilleArkansasJun 1, 2020Sep 2, 2020Plans for removal by United Daughters of the ConfederacyRemoval announced during protests[30]

[31]


Athens Confederate Monument AthensGeorgiaJun 2, 2020Aug 10, 2020Removed by the cityThe mayor and city commissioners announced plans to remove the monument.[32]
[33]
[34]


Nash County Confederate MonumentRocky MountNorth CarolinaJun 2, 2020Jun 30, 2020Dismantled and placed in storageThe City Council of Rocky Mount voted to remove the monument.[35]

[36]


Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument IndianapolisIndianaJun 4, 2020Jun 8, 2020Removed by cityA resolution to remove the monument passed the Indianapolis Parks Board in 2017, but was not funded. The mayor announced it would be removed.[37]
[38]
[39]


Statue of Raphael Semmes MobileAlabamaJun 5, 2020Jun 5, 2020Removed by cityStatue of Confederate Navy Admiral Raphael Semmes removed from downtown on orders of Mayor Sandy Stimpson. The $25,000 fine was paid by July 10.[40]
[41]
[27]


Statue of Sam DavisNashvilleTennesseeJun 5, 2020Jun 12, 2020Removed by schoolStatue of Confederate soldier Sam Davis removed from the campus of Montgomery Bell Academy.[42]

[43]


John B. Castleman Monument LouisvilleKentuckyJun 8, 2020Jun 8, 2020Removed by cityStatue of John Breckinridge Castleman removed to be placed at his burial site at Cave Hill Cemetery.[44]


University of Alabama Confederate Memorial TuscaloosaAlabamaJun 9, 2020Removed by University.The memorial was formerly located near the Gorgas Library. Three Confederate plaques were also removed from the university grounds.[45]


Jacksonville Confederate Monument JacksonvilleFloridaJun 9, 2020Jun 9, 2020Removed by cityOvernight removed the monument from a Confederate monument in Hemming Park, leaving an empty pedestal.[46]


Denton Confederate Soldier Monument DentonTexasJun 9, 2020Jun 25, 2020Removed by countyDenton County commissioners voted to remove and relocate the monument.[47]
[48]
[49]


The Grandstand
Confederate Memorial Services
JacksonvilleFloridaJun 9, 2020Plans for removal by cityMayor announced removal of all Confederate monuments, memorials, and markers, including this in Old City Cemetery.[50]


Confederate Monument Fort WorthTexasJun 9, 2020Jun 13, 2020Removed by Tarrant CountyCounty commission voted to remove the monument in front of Tarrant County Courthouse.[51]
[52]


Florida's Tribute to the Women of the Confederacy JacksonvilleFloridaJun 9, 2020Dec 27, 2023Removed by order of Mayor Donna DeeganMayor announced removal of all Confederate monuments, memorials, and markers, including this one in Confederate Park, since renamed Springfield Park.[50]
[53]


Multiple historic markersJacksonvilleFloridaJun 10, 2020Plans for removal by Mayor Lenny CurryAnnounced plans to remove all Confederate monuments including these 8 items: Maple Leaf at Northbank Riverwalk, Maple Leaf at Walter Jones Historical Park, Florida Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Home marker in Old City Cemetery, Line of Entrenchment at old Jacksonville Terminal, Skirmish At Cedar Creek at Lenox Avenue, 1914 United Confederate Veteran's Reunion at Confederate Park (now Springfield Park), 23 informational signs and 58 tree signs at Camp Milton Historic Preserve, and In Memory of Our Beloved Ancestors – Ground Marker at Old City Cemetery.[50]


Confederate Soldier Memorial HuntsvilleAlabamaJun 10, 2020Oct 23, 2020Removal authorized by unanimous vote of Madison County Commission. State review committee said they did not have legal authority to authorize removal; referred to Alabama Attorney General. Activists have raised $25,000 to pay the fine, if removed illegally.The memorial, constructed in 1905, is located in front of the Madison County Courthouse. The county would be fined $25,000 if it removed the memorial without state approval under a 2017 law designed to protect historical structures and monuments. The statue, which was owned by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, was gradually removed between 1:20 am and 4:45 am on October 23, 2020[54]
[27]
[55]
[56]


Gloria Victis SalisburyNorth CarolinaJun 11, 2020Jul 6–7, 2020Two unanimous votes by city council, plus police chief declared it a risk to public safetyJune 20, UDC signed the city's proposal to have the sculpture moved to Old Lutheran Cemetery.[57]
[58]
[59]


Spirit of the Confederacy HoustonTexasJun 11, 2020Jun 17, 2020Removed by cityTo be moved to the Houston Museum of African American Culture.[60]
[61]
[62]


Statue of Richard W. Dowling HoustonTexasJun 11, 2020Jun 17, 2020Removed by city, disassembled and placed in storageInitial plans to relocate the statue of Dick Dowling to Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site were scuttled following objections by the mayor of Port Arthur. Final disposition uncertain.[63]
[60]

[64]


Gadsden Confederate Memorial QuincyFloridaJun 11, 2020Jun 11, 2020Crane to remove it appeared 30 minutes after county commissioners' unanimous vote.Removed from the front of the Gadsden County Courthouse. Will be relocated within six months.[65]
[66]
[67]


Confederate War Memorial DallasTexasJun 12, 2020Jun 24, 2020Removed by cityPlaced in storage to prevent protester injuries during potential vandalism attempts, pending resolution of preexisting legal dispute over disposition.[68]

[69]


DeKalb County Confederate Monument DecaturGeorgiaJun 12, 2020Jun 18, 2020Monument removal ordered by Georgia Superior Court JusticeThe monument was ordered removed by Superior Court Justice Clarence Seeliger on the grounds that it constituted a public nuisance under the Georgia code.[70]
[71]


Statue of Jefferson Davis FrankfortKentuckyJun 12, 2020Jun 13, 2020Removed by stateThe Historic Properties Advisory Commission voted to move the statue from the capitol rotunda to the Jefferson Davis State Historic Site. Removed the following day.[72]


Stand Watie and Confederate Soldier Fountain TahlequahOklahomaJun 13, 2020Jun 13, 2020Removed by Cherokee NationWatie headed the Confederate-allied Cherokee. The fountain was dedicated in 1913 by the Daughters of the Confederacy rather than the Cherokee Nation.[73]


Stand Watie MonumentTahlequahOklahomaJun 13, 2020Jun 13, 2020Removed by Cherokee NationThe monument was dedicated in 1921 by the Daughters of the Confederacy rather than the Cherokee Nation.[73]


Pitt County Confederate Soldiers Monument GreenvilleNorth CarolinaJune 15, 2020June 22, 2020Removed by countyCounty, which owns the statue, voted to remove immediately under "reason of threatened public safety".[74]
[75]


Washington County, Mississippi Confederate MonumentGreenvilleMississippiJune 16County commission voted 4–1 to move the monument from its position in front of courthouse.[76]


Iberville Parish Confederate MonumentPlaquemineLouisianaJune 16Parish Council voted unanimously for removal.[77]
[78]


Zebulon Baird Vance Monument AshevilleNorth CarolinaJune 16Started May 18, 2021Asheville City Council and Buncombe County CouncilCity and County councils both unanimously passed a joint-resolution to remove monument.[79]
[80]


Montgomery County Confederate Soldiers MonumentWhite's Ferry, DickersonMarylandJune 16Removed by private owner, who also renamed Gen. Jubal A. Early ferry boat.Until 2017, had stood in front of the Montgomery County courthouse in Rockville, Maryland.[81]


Hey Reb!Las VegasNevadaJune 16June 16Removed by the University of Nevada, Las VegasThe statue is a representation of Hey Reb!, the mascot of the UNLV Rebels. It was donated to the university in 2007 and was situated outside the Richard Tam Alumni Center before its removal.[82]


Monument to 60th Regiment NC Volunteers and Battle of ChickamaugaAshevilleNorth CarolinaJune 17July 14Removed by Buncombe County CommissionFormerly located in front of the county courthouse.[83]
[84]
[85]


Robert E. Lee Dixie Highway, Colonel John Connally Marker AshevilleNorth CarolinaJune 17July 10Removed jointly Buncombe County Commission and City of AshevillePlaced in storage. Base left for any future use of the site.[83]
[86]


Confederate Cow Calvary MonumentPlant CityFloridaJune 18June 11 (one week before announcement)Removed by city council, placed in storageMonument to 1st Florida Special Cavalry Battalion also known as the "Cow Calvary" due to them protecting farmlands during the war. Monument was placed by United Daughters of the Confederacy in 2007 on public land without city approval. City requesting UDC to retrieve monument from storage.[87]


Jefferson Davis Memorial BoulderBrownsvilleTexasJune 17Removed by cityRemoved from Washington Park.[88]


Robert E. Lee Highway MarkerSan DiegoCaliforniaJune 18Removed by San Diego Parks and Recreation and Stockdale Capital PartnersThe marker was located in the Horton Plaza Park prior to its removal.[89]


Memorial to Company A, Capitol Guards Little RockArkansasJune 18Removed by cityThe statue will be placed in storage until a location can be found for it.[90]


North Carolina State Confederate Monument RaleighNorth CarolinaJune 19June 19Two statues toppled by protesters; remainder removed by work crewProtesters pulled down the two statues at the base of the monument, dragging one through the streets and hanging it from a street light. Removal of remainder ordered by Governor Roy Cooper shortly afterward.[91]
[92]


Albert Pike Memorial WashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaJune 19Toppled and set afire by protesters during JuneteenthThe statue was wrapped in chains before it was toppled. The D.C. government wanted to remove the work in 2017, but could not do so without an act of Congress.[93]
[94]
[95]
[96]


Pine Bluff Confederate Monument Pine BluffArkansasJune 20June 20County judge and United Daughters of the ConfederacyThe statue was removed from the Jefferson County Courthouse as part of a cooperative agreement between Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson and the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The statue was transferred to an undisclosed location where it can be cleaned and repaired[97]


Statue of Henry Lawson Wyatt RaleighNorth CarolinaJune 21Removed by governor's orderRemoval ordered by Governor Roy Cooper after protesters removed statues at base of Confederate Monument.[92]


Monument to North Carolina Women of the Confederacy[a] RaleighNorth CarolinaJune 21Removed by governor's orderRemoval ordered by Governor Roy Cooper after protesters removed statues at base of Confederate Monument.[92]


Confederate Soldiers' Memorial Bridge sign and statueClarksvilleTennesseeWeek of June 15Removed by cityThe sign and monument were allegedly removed for their own protection.[98]


Confederate soldier grave marker Silver SpringMarylandJune 17Toppled by protestersThe statue was located at Grace Episcopal Church. It marked the remains of seventeen unidentified Confederate soldiers killed during the Battle of Fort Stevens.[99]


Confederate Monument OxfordMississippiJune 18July 14Relocated by University of MississippiThe statue was previously located in front of the university's main administration building. It was the site of a pro-segregation riot in 1962 and a pro-Confederate protest in 2019. The statue was previously vandalized by protesters. It will be moved to a Confederate cemetery on campus.[100]
[101]


Confederate Memorial ObeliskSt. AugustineFloridaJune 22City commissioners voted 3–2 on June 22, 2020, to move the obelisk.[102]


"To our Confederate dead" monument LouisburgNorth CarolinaJune 22June 29Removed by cityLouisburg Town Council voted to move the monument to Oakwood Cemetery.[103]
[104]


Leflore County Confederate MonumentGreenwoodMississippiJune 23County commission voted unanimously to move monument from in front of courthouse.[105]


Our Confederate Soldiers BeaumontTexasJune 23June 29City Council of Beaumont voted to remove it.[106]
[107]


Warren County Confederate Soldiers MonumentWarrentonNorth CarolinaJune 23June 24Removed by county, placed in storageCounty commissioners unanimously voted to remove monument[108]


The Granville GrayOxfordNorth CarolinaJune 24June 24Removed by county, placed in storageGranville County commissioners voted to remove monument after threats were made to topple monument. County announced that they would vote later on where to relocate monument[109]


Judah Benjamin markerCharlotteNorth CarolinaJune 24Removed by cityThe marker consisted of black granite and located near a sidewalk. It was paid for by a local synagogue in the late 1940s. A local branch of the Daughters of the Confederacy initially proposed placing the marker, but they ceased support after being told not to work with Jews by a New York banker.[110]


Lenoir County Confederate MonumentKinstonNorth CarolinaJune 25July 1Removed by Lenoir County Board of CommissionersThe statue was relocated from the Lenoir County visitor's center to the First Battle of Kinston Civil War Battlefield Park. This the fifth time the statue has been moved.[111]


Confederate Memorial WilmingtonNorth CarolinaNot announcedJune 25Temporarily removed by city[112]


George Davis Monument WilmingtonNorth CarolinaNot announcedJune 25Temporarily removed by cityDavis was a Confederate senator and Attorney General.[112]


Confederate Memorial MindenLouisianaNot announcedJune 26Removed by owner, United Daughters of the Confederacy[113]


Confederate Monument FayettevilleNorth CarolinaNot announcedJune 27Removed by owner, United Daughters of the Confederacy[114]


Monument to Confederate Dead (Haymount area) FayettevilleNorth CarolinaNot announcedJune 27Removed by owners, Sons of Confederate Veterans and United Daughters of the Confederacy[115]


Lowndes County, Alabama, Confederate MonumentHaynevilleAlabamaJune 29Removal ordered by countyThe memorial is located near the Lowndes County Courthouse. The county expects to be fined under the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act.[116]


Kanawha Riflemen memorialCharlestonWest VirginiaJune 29June 29Removed by cityThe monument consisted of a standing commemorative plaque connected to two stone benches; the benches were not removed.[117]


Statue of Confederate soldier FrederickMarylandJune 29 (discovered)Toppled and beheaded; not likely to be repaired[118]


Rockdale County Confederate Monument ConyersGeorgiaJune 30Removed by Rockdale County Commission[119]
[120]
[121]


Confederate Monument OrangeburgSouth CarolinaJune 30, 2020Removal requires a 23 vote of the South Carolina Legislature.Orangeville City Council voted unanimously for removal.[122]


Confederate Monument (Cross Creek Cemetery) FayettevilleNorth CarolinaJune 30, 2020Removed by ownerThe oldest Confederate monument in North Carolina.[123]


Slave whipping postGeorgetownDelawareJune 29July 1Removed by state[124]


Statue of Alfred Mouton
1922
LafayetteLouisianaJul 1, 2020Jul 17, 2021Removed by cityOn July 16, 2021, the United Daughters of the Confederacy signed a settlement agreeing that the city would bear the cost for removing the statue, which stood outside the former city hall, to another location. It was removed the next day.[125]
[126]


Two statues commemorating specific eventsMcConnellsburgPennsylvaniaJuly 2The first statue is a historical marker commemorating a skirmish that killed two Confederate soldiers separated from their unit. The second memorial commemorates a meal given to Confederate soldiers by McConnellsburg residents after the 1864 burning of Chambersburg. Two historical markers, noting the same events, were also removed.[127]


Mt. Zion Confederate MonumentCorneliusNorth CarolinaJuly 2Church Board asked for its removal[128]


Monument to Confederate Brigadier General Albert G. JenkinsHampden TownshipPennsylvaniaJuly 3 (confirmed)Removed by owner of land[129]


Statue of Benjamin Welch OwensLothianMarylandJuly 3 (discovered)Toppled by protestersThe statue was also vandalized in June.[130]


United Confederate Veterans Memorial SeattleWashingtonJuly 3/4Toppled by protestersThe monument was toppled by unknown persons, apparently on July 3, 2020. In the process, the lower ends of both formerly vertical columns were broken in multiple places.[131]


Judah P. Benjamin MonumentSarasotaFloridaMid-JuneJuly 5Removed by city managerRemoved along with a marker dedicated to Benjamin.[132]


Cape Girardeau Confederate Memorial Cape GirardeauMissouriAugust 20Removed by city council[133]


Bolivar County Confederate Monument ClevelandMississippiJuly 6County Commissioners voted unanimously to relocate the statue[134]


Lowndes County, Mississippi, Confederate soldierColumbusMississippiJuly 6County Commissioners voted unanimously to relocate the statue.[134]


Greensboro Confederate Statue (Green Hill Cemetery)GreensboroNorth CarolinaJuly 6July 7Toppled by protesters; moved to storage[135]
[136]


Lee Square Confederate Monument PensacolaFloridaJuly 7The City of Pensacola is calling for its removal. Lee Square may also be renamed Florida Square.The monument was vandalized with red paint on the night of June 29. Removal of monument began on October 26 with the removal of the 42 ft. monument's 8 ft. statue portion.[137]
[138]
[139]


Henry County Confederate Monument McDonoughGeorgiaJuly 7July 29Removed by county commissionsDisassembled, base still remains currently[140]

[141]


Anson County Courthouse Confederate monument WadesboroNorth CarolinaJuly 7July 8Removed by county[142]


Marker of Jefferson Davis HighwayHwy. 99 near BakersfieldCaliforniaJuly 8June 17 (three weeks before announcement)Moved by county to storage area at Kern County Museum[143]


Statue of Henry Watkins AllenPort AllenLouisianaJuly 8The Port Allen City Council has requested that West Baton Rouge Parish remove the statue.[144]


Bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest
Loura Jane Herndon Baxendale, 1978
NashvilleTennesseeJul 9, 2020Jul 23, 2021Tennessee Capital Commission voted to relocate bustRelocated to Tennessee State Museum[145]

[146]


Bust of Charles Didier DreuxNew OrleansLouisianaJuly 10Toppled by protesters; city has not announced plans for the statueBust commemorating Confederate officer Charles Didier Dreux. The nose had previously been chiseled off the statue by protesters.[147]


David O. Dodd memorial bench and historical marker Little RockArkansasJuly 10July 9 or 10Removed by cityThe two structures were previously located in MacArthur Park. They honored Dodd, a 17 year-old executed by the Union for spying for the Confederacy.[148]


1929 Confederate Reunion Marker CharlotteNorth CarolinaJuly 10Removed at direction of county commissioner, placed in storageMarker commemorated a reunion with confederate veterans in 1929. Marker has previously been vandalized in recent years and had glass enclosure placed around it to protect it. Glass case left empty.[149]


Sampson County Confederate Monument ClintonNorth CarolinaNot announcedJuly 11Damaged by protesters after the city council passed a resolution asking the county to remove it[150]


Pasquotank County Confederate MonumentElizabeth CityNorth CarolinaJuly 13Removal ordered by county[151]


Leonard Park Confederate MonumentGainesvilleTexasJuly 14Unanimous vote of city councilPlan to relocate monument to Grayson County Frontier Village historical site in Denison, Texas.[152]
[153]


Madison County Confederate MonumentMadisonFloridaJuly 14Black County Commissioners voted for removal, white ones to leave it.[154]


Confederate soldier memorialMaconGeorgiaJuly 14The City is moving it, but how to pay for the substantial cost is unresolved. It will be relocated to Whittle Park.On the site of a former slave market. In a second phase of statue removal, the County's Women of the South memorial may be moved.[155]


Caddo Parish Confederate Monument ShreveportLouisianaJuly 20Parish commission and UDC agreed to move monument to different location, pending agreement on new locationParish to build wooden box around monument to protect and cover structure before its relocation[156]


Memorial to Arizona Confederate troops PhoenixArizonaJuly 22July 23Removed by UDC overnightUDC requested to take back monument from public property and find new location on private property[157]


Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway markerGold CanyonArizonaJuly 22July 23Removed by UDC overnightUDC requested to take back monument from public property and find new location on private property[157]


Caldwell County Confederate MonumentLockhartTexasJuly 28County commission approved removalPlans to relocate statue to Caldwell County Museum[158]


Gaston County Confederate MonumentGastoniaNorth CarolinaAugust 4County commission voted to relocate statueMonument currently in front of courthouse. SCV has 6 months to submit a proposal for the monument's new location[159]


Daviess County Confederate MonumentOwensboroKentuckyAugust 6County Fiscal Court voted to relocate monumentFiscal Court set up a relocation committee to plan for the removal and find a new location. Monument currently in front of the courthouse.[160]


Monument to William Wing LoringSt. AugustineFloridaNot announcedNight of August 23–24Removed by University of Florida, which owns the land it was on.Loring was a Confederate general.[161]


Historic marker states that under the Confederacy, Bowling Green was the capital of KentuckyBowling GreenKentuckyNot announcedc. August 25Removed by Western Kentucky University administration.Frankfort remained the Union capital and controlled much more of Kentucky than the shadow Confederate government of Kentucky.[162]
[163]


Putnam County Confederate Memorial PalatkaFloridaAugust 25In November 2020, the board decided that the statue would be relocated to Putnam County Veterans Memorial Park but only if $200,000 in private funds was raised within 90 days from people inside of Putnam County.[164]


The South's DefendersLake CharlesLouisianaAugust 27Calcasieu Parish Police Jury voted 10–4 to keep monumentTwo weeks after the vote, Hurricane Laura knocked the monument's statue off its base.[165]


John Pelham MonumentAnnistonAlabamaearly SeptemberSeptember 27In September 2020, the Anniston, Alabama city council voted 4–1 to remove a monument of Confederate artillery officer John Pelham located in the grassy median of a major public avenue in Anniston since 1905. Anniston Mayor Jack Draper previously called for its removal in June 2020On September 27, construction workers successfully removed the stone obelisk monument late in the evening. However, there were still plans to relocate it to a Confederate history park.[166]


Stonewall Jackson MonumentSan DiegoCaliforniaJuly 23July 23Removed at the request of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.Confederate monument removed from plot in city-owned cemetery where Union and Confederate soldiers are buried. Monument has been the target of petitions for removal since 2017.[167]
[168]


Uptown Square Confederate MonumentLexingtonNorth CarolinaOctober 14October 16Removed at the request of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.Despite objections from Davidson County Commissioners, the Confederate monument which stood at the city square in Lexington since 1902 was removed after the Davidson County Superior Court allowed for the city and the Daughters of the Confederacy to have it removed from this location. The statue would be removed from the city square late at night for an almost five-hour period on October 15–16.[169]


Statue of Robert E. Lee WashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaDec 21, 2020Removed by staff from the Architect of the CapitolThe statue, formerly one of Virginia's two contributions to the National Statuary Hall at the United States Capitol rotunda, will be moved to the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam filed a request for a bill to remove the statue in December 2020.[170]
[171]


Virginia edit

Virginia, where the CSA had its capital in Richmond, has the most Confederate monuments of any U.S. state. A March 2020 change in the law of Virginia had already essentially repealed the statute preventing removal of historical monuments, effective from July 1, 2020. This change became possible when voters, after electing the Democrat Ralph Northam as Governor in 2017, gave the Democrats control of both houses of the Virginia General Assembly from January 2020, for the first time in a generation.[172]

Monument/memorialCityStateRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
Appomattox AlexandriaVirginiaMay 31, 2020Removed by United Daughters of the ConfederacyThe owner, United Daughters of the Confederacy, moved the date up because of the protests.[173]


Norfolk Confederate Monument NorfolkVirginiaJune 2, 2020June 16, 2020Removed by cityCity Council approved removal; located at a former slave auction site. Johnny Reb statue atop the monument removed June 12; rest of monument removed by June 16.[174]
[175]
[176]


Robert E. Lee Monument RichmondVirginiaJune 3, 2020September 8, 2021Removed by stateGovernor announced removal "as soon as possible"; monument on state land.[177]
[178][179]


J. E. B. Stuart Monument RichmondVirginiaJune 3, 2020July 7, 2020Removed by City of Richmond[180]Planned removal of the four Confederate monuments on city land.[181] After the J. E. B. Stuart statue was removed, the Robert E. Lee statue became the last remaining Confederate monument located on Richmond's Monument Avenue.[182]


Stonewall Jackson Monument RichmondVirginiaJune 3, 2020July 1, 2020Removed by City of RichmondPlanned removal of the four Confederate monuments on city land.[181]

[183]


Matthew Fontaine Maury Monument RichmondVirginiaJune 3, 2020July 2, 2020Removed by City of RichmondOne of the four Confederate monuments on city land.[181]


Slave Auction Block FredericksburgVirginia2019June 5, 2020Removed by cityA slave auction block was removed from the downtown and will be displayed in the Fredericksburg Area Museum.[184]


Robert E. Lee MemorialRoanokeVirginiaJune 5, 2020July 23, 2020Toppled and damaged by protester, city removed monument afterwardsCity Council had voted earlier to start the legal process to remove the monument and rename Lee Plaza. City will keep monument in storage until fate of statue is determined[185]

[186]


Statue of Williams Carter Wickham RichmondVirginiaJune 6, 2020Toppled by protestersPulled from its base and tumbled to the ground.[187]


Jefferson Davis Memorial RichmondVirginiaJune 3, 2020June 10, 2020Statue of Davis toppled by protesters; the rest of the memorial was not damagedPlanned removal of the four Confederate monuments on city land. Protesters toppled the statue from its plinth on June 10.[181]
[188]


Confederate Monument PortsmouthVirginiaJune 9, 2020June 10, 2020Four statues decapitated and one pulled down by protestersCity campaign to remove it already underway.[189]
[190]


Plaques and stained-glass windows at St. Paul's Episcopal Church RichmondVirginiaJune 14, 2020Removal approved by vestry of seven plaques 'associated with the Lost Cause era and ideology' and rededicate the stained-glass windows installed as memorials to Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and their familiesThis is the church Lee and Davis attended in Richmond; Jefferson Davis was a member. The windows and plaques contain no battle flags or Confederate imagery.[191]


Howitzer Monument RichmondVirginiaJune 16, 2020June 16, 2020Toppled by protestersPulled off its pedestal by a rope. Was located near Virginia Commonwealth University's Monroe Park campus.[192]


Loudoun County Confederate monument LeesburgVirginiaJune 26, 2020July 21, 2020Removed overnight by UDCCounty had voted to remove monument[193]

[194]


Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument RichmondVirginiaJuly 1, 2020July 8, 2020Removed by cityThe sixth city-owned Confederate monument ordered removed by Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney on July 1.[195]


Two Confederate cannonsRichmondVirginiaJuly 2, 2020Removed by cityOne of the cannons was located near the Arthur Ashe memorial; its plaque claimed that the cannon marked the second line of the Confederate defense of Richmond. The second cannon was located near the Jefferson Davis memorial.[196]


Fitzhugh Lee crossRichmondVirginiaJuly 9, 2020Removed by cityFitzhugh served as a Major General in the Confederate Army and later as the governor of Virginia.[197]


Statue of Joseph Bryan RichmondVirginiaJuly 9, 2020Removed by cityBryan owned the Richmond Times-Dispatch and served in Mosby's Rangers during the Civil War.[197]


Farmville Confederate statueFarmvilleVirginiaJune 15, 2020June 18, 2020Removal ordered by town councilA pedestal supporting the soldier statue was not removed. The statue was placed in offsite storage pending final disposition or relocation.[198]


Bust of Hunter Holmes McGuireRichmondVirginiaJuly 16, 2020Committee at Virginia Commonwealth University recommended removing bust from library along with removing several plagues and renaming several buildings around campus[199]


Virginia Beach Confederate monumentVirginia BeachVirginiaJuly 23, 2020July 25, 2020Removed by city councilPlaced in storage, city will solicit proposals from museums for relocations[200]


Statue of Robert E. Lee (pictured)
Busts of Fitzhugh Lee, J. E. B. Stuart, Stonewall Jackson, Joseph E. Johnston, Jefferson Davis and Alexander Stephens
Plaque for Thomas Bocock
RichmondVirginiaJuly 24, 2020July 24, 2020Removed by order of House Speaker Eileen Filler-CornOne statue, six busts, and one plaque commemorating Confederate leaders were removed from the Virginia State Capitol's Old House Chamber, where rebel leaders met when Richmond was the capitol of the Confederacy. Filler-Corn announced the creation of an advisory group to propose new memorials for the House.[201]


Company H monumentNewport NewsVirginiaAugust 12, 2020City Council voted 6–1 to removeThe monument for the Confederate veterans of Company H, 32nd Virginia Infantry has been covered since June 11[202]


Caroline County Confederate Monument Bowling GreenVirginiaAugust 25The Caroline County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to remove the monument.[203]


At Ready
1909
CharlottesvilleVirginiaSep 12, 2020Removed by county[204]


Robert E. Lee Monument
Henry Shrady and Leo Lentelli, 1924
CharlottesvilleVirginiaJul 9, 2021Jul 10, 2021Removed by cityA previous attempt to remove the statue prompted the Unite the Right rally in 2017. The statue was removed to storage in July 2021. The statue was melted down on October 27, 2023.[205]
[206]
[207]
[208]


Equestrian statue of Stonewall Jackson
Charles Keck, 1919–1921
CharlottesvilleVirginiaJul 9, 2021Jul 10, 2021Removed by cityOne of four public sculptures in the city removed over the weekend of July 10–11 (the others being the monuments to Lee, Lewis and Clark, and George Rogers Clark).[207]
[209]
[210]


Genocide of indigenous peoples edit

Monuments dedicated to individuals accused of involvement in the genocide of indigenous peoples in the Americas have been removed.[211][212]

Juan de Oñate, when governor of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, was responsible for the 1599 Acoma Massacre. Junípero Serra, a Franciscan friar, was involved in enslaving Chumash people in the 18th century for the building and supplying of the Spanish missions in California.[213][214][215] Diego de Vargas, also governor of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, led the reconquest of the territory in 1692, after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.

A handful of towns in Spain have offered to receive statues of Spaniards unwanted in the U.S.[216]

Monument/memorialCityStateRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
Equestrian statue of Juan de Oñate AlcaldeNew MexicoJun 15, 2020Jun 15, 2020Temporarily removed by Río Arriba County authoritiesThe right foot of the statue was cut off and stolen in 1997, in reference to Oñate's Acoma Massacre, in which the right foot of every male over 25 was cut off.[217]
[218]


Statue of Juan de OñateAlbuquerqueNew MexicoJun 16, 2020Removed by city pending a decision on next stepsStatue in front of the Albuquerque Museum removed after an armed counter-protester shot a protester.[219]
[220]


Statue of Diego de Vargas Santa FeNew MexicoJun 17, 2020Jun 18, 2020Removal ordered by the mayorVargas is remembered for reconquering Santa Fe de Nuevo México after the Pueblo Revolt. The statue was removed from Cathedral Park under the direction of Mayor Alan Webber.[221]


Kit Carson Obelisk Santa FeNew MexicoJun 18, 2020Removal ordered by the mayorIn front of federal courthouse[222]


Civil War Monument DenverColoradoJun 25, 2020Jun 25, 2020Toppled by protestersThe monument honors Colorado citizens who served in the Union Army. It listed battles against Native Americans in addition to battles against the Confederacy. Most controversially, it listed the Sand Creek massacre (a mass killing of Cheyenne and Arapaho Native Americans) as a battle.[223]


American Indian War Memorial, or Soldiers Monument
1867/1868
Santa FeNew MexicoJun 25, 2020Oct 12, 2020Removal ordered by the mayor; toppled by protestersThe obelisk in the Santa Fe Plaza commemorated battles against Native Americans (formerly referred to as "savage Indians" in the inscription) as well as Union soldiers in the Civil War. Destroyed during Indigenous Peoples' Day protests.[222]
[224]
[225]
[226]


Statues of Junípero Serra
After John Palo-Kangas, 1987 and 1988

VenturaCaliforniaJul 15, 2020Jul 26, 2020Removal voted 6–0 by Ventura City Council (includes wooden replica by local carvers). Previously agreed to by the Mayor and representatives of the Barbareño/Ventureño Band of Mission Indians and Mission San Buenaventura.1936 commission in front of Ventura County Courthouse by the Works Progress Administration as part of the Federal Art Project[227]
[228]
[229]
[230]
[231]


Statue of Junípero Serra San FranciscoCaliforniaJun 19, 2020Jun 19, 2020Toppled by protestersWas installed in Golden Gate Park[232]


Statue of Junípero Serra Los AngelesCaliforniaJun 20, 2020Jun 20, 2020Toppled by protestersWas displayed on Olvera Street, the center of Los Angeles when it was Mexican.[233]


Statue of Junípero Serra San Luis ObispoCaliforniaJun 22, 2020Jun 22, 2020Removed by local mission personnelWas displayed on grounds of the San Luis Obispo Mission[234]
[235]


Statue of Junípero Serra CarmelCaliforniaJun 23, 2020Removed by city as a safeguarding measureThere are several statues of Serra in Carmel. This is the one by Jo Mora, at intersection of Serra Avenue with Camino Del Monte.[236]


Statue of Kit Carson, Pioneer Fountain DenverColoradoJun 26, 2020Jun 26, 2020Removed by cityThe Carson statue was the third statue removed in Denver within two days; it was removed so as to prevent it from being toppled by protesters.[237]


Statue of Junípero Serra San GabrielCaliforniaNot announcedc.Jun 26, 2020Moved from the front of the mission to its garden, described as "away from public view"[238]


Statue of Junípero Serra SacramentoCaliforniaJul 4, 2020Toppled by protesters; put into storagePart of California State Capitol Museum's exhibit in Capitol Park near the California State Capitol[239]


Statue of John Mason WindsorConnecticutJul 6, 2020City must get approval from state, which owns the statue, in order to move it to the Windsor Historical SocietyMason is remembered for his role in the Pequot Massacre.
[240]


Statue of Alexander Andreyevich Baranov SitkaAlaskaJul 14, 2020Sitka Assembly voted 6–1 to move the statue from the front of Harrigan Centennial Hall into the Sitka Historical MuseumBaranov was a Chief Manager of the Russian-American Company involved in the Russian colonization of Alaska, including founding Sitka (as New Archangel) and Kodiak (as Pavlovskaya Gavan). He is said to have been involved in the genocide of the native Tlingit and Aleut people.[241]
[242]


Theodore Roosevelt, Rough Rider
Alexander Phimister Proctor, 1922
PortlandOregonOct 11, 2020Toppled by protestersToppled in a protest (referred to as the "Indigenous Peoples Day of Rage") against Columbus Day. Roosevelt is recorded as having had a hostile attitude toward Native Americans.[243]
[244]


Statue of Abraham Lincoln
George Fite Waters, 1926
PortlandOregonOct 11, 2020Toppled by protestersThis statue was toppled shortly after that of Roosevelt nearby. "Dakota 38" was spray-painted on the pedestal, a reference to Lincoln's approving the execution of 38 Dakota men after the Dakota War of 1862.[244]
[245]


Christopher Columbus edit

Several statues of Christopher Columbus, the initiator of the European colonization of the Americas, have been removed because of his alleged enslavement of and systemic violence against the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, including the genocide of the Taíno people.

Monument/memorialCityStateRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
Statue
Ferruccio Legnaioli, 1926
RichmondVirginiaJun 9, 2020Jun 9, 2020Toppled by protestersThe statue was toppled, lit on fire, and dumped in a nearby lake by protesters who stated that they were acting in solidarity with Native Americans.[246]
[247]
[248]


Statue
Carlo Brioschi, 1931
St. PaulMinnesotaJun 10, 2020Jun 10, 2020Toppled by protestersThe statue, located next to the Minnesota State Capitol, was toppled by members of the American Indian Movement.[249]
[250]


Statue
Andrew J. Mazzola, 1979
BostonMassachusettsJun 11, 2020Decapitated by protesters, removed by cityThe statue was removed following vandalism and a review[251]
[252]


Statue
1915
CamdenNew JerseyJun 11, 2020Jun 11, 2020Removed by cityRemoval ordered by mayor Frank Moran after many years of vandalism.[253]
[254]


Statue
Joe Incrapera, 1992
HoustonTexasJun 11, 2020Jun 19, 2020Removed by cityThe statue was removed from Bell Park a week after being vandalized with red paint and having a hand cut off.[255]
[256]


Statue
Armand Battelli, 1928
New LondonConnecticutJun 11, 2020Mayor ordered removalThe statue will be removed pending a review[257]
[258]


Statue
Egidio Giaroli, 1957
WilmingtonDelawareJun 12, 2020Jun 12, 2020Removed by cityRemoval ordered by mayor Mike Purzycki to be stored while the display of the statue is discussed.[259]
[260]


Statue
Estelle Hampton Frierson and Stavros Alexander Chrysostomides, 1992
ColumbiaSouth CarolinaJun 12, 2020Jun 12, 2020Removed by cityRemoval and storage ordered by mayor Steve Benjamin and City Council.[261]
[262]


Statue
Mario Zamora, 1989
Chula VistaCaliforniaJun 12, 2020Removed by cityThe city put the statue in storage ahead of a protest on June 12, 2020. On May 5, 2021, the Chula Vista City Council voted to permanently remove the statue.[263] In November 2022, Discovery Park was renamed Kumeyaay Park of Chula Vista (see below).[264]
[265][266]


Statue
Jerry T. Williams, 1996
MiddletownConnecticutJun 13, 2020City of Middletown removed statueStatue was already slated to be stored due to maintenance work at the park[267]
[268]


Monument
1992
West OrangeNew JerseyJun 13, 2020Removal ordered by West Orange Mayor Robert ParisiNo final removal date has yet been announced.[269]


Bust
Augusto Rivalta, 1910
DetroitMichiganJun 15, 2020Jun 15, 2020Removed by cityRemoval and storage ordered by mayor Mike Duggan.[270]
[271]


Statue
Vincenzo Miserendino, 1926
HartfordConnecticutJun 15, 2020Jun 29, 2020Mayor Luke Bronin announced that the statue near the Connecticut State Capitol would be removed.[272]
[273]
[274]


Statue
1952 (recast of an 1892 original)
New HavenConnecticutJun 15, 2020Jun 24, 2020Removed by city[275]
[273]
[276]


Statue
Alfred Solani, c. 1950s
ColumbusOhioJun 16, 2020Jun 19, 2020Removal ordered by collegeRemoval announced by Columbus State Community College's president of the board of trustees, to be stored while the future of the statue is discussed.[277]
[278]
[279]


Statue
Ferdinand von Miller II, 1884
St. LouisMissouriJun 16, 2020Jun 16, 2020Removed by cityRemoval ordered by St. Louis Park Board[280]
[281]


Columbus' Last Appeal to Queen Isabella
Larkin Goldsmith Mead, 1868–1874
SacramentoCaliforniaJun 16, 2020Jul 7, 2020Removal ordered by California State LegislatureThe sculptural group, installed in the California State Capitol in 1883, shows Columbus persuading Isabella I of Castile to fund his 1492 voyage.[282]
[283]
[284]
[285]
[286]


Statue
Vittorio di Colbertaldo, 1957
San FranciscoCaliforniaJun 18, 2020Jun 18, 2020Removed by the San Francisco Arts CommissionThe statue, located next to Coit Tower, was removed by the City ahead of a planned Juneteenth protest to throw it into the San Francisco Bay.[287]


Statue
Edoardo Alfieri, 1955
ColumbusOhioJun 18, 2020Jul 1, 2020Removal ordered by cityRemoval announced by the City of Columbus.[288]
[289]
[290]


Statue
Emanuele Caroni, c. 1875
PhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaJun 24, 2020Removal announced by Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. Shrouded.On August 12, 2020, the Philadelphia Art Commission issued an order to remove the statue from Marconi Plaza and to place it in temporary storage. This followed an endorsement of a city proposal, two weeks prior, by the Philadelphia Historical Commission, to remove the statue, citing public safety and susceptibility of damage to the statue as a result of the George Floyd protests. A judge later halted the order, while a legal battle continues in the courts.[291] Citing preservation of the statue pending a final decision, the City of Philadelphia had it boxed. On August 17, 2021, a judge from Philadelphia Common Pleas Court ruled the decision for removing the statue to be without legal merit.[292][293]
[294]


Statue
c. 1940
NorwalkConnecticutJun 25, 2020Jun 25, 2020Removed by city[295]
[296]


Statue
Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, 1893
ProvidenceRhode IslandJun 25, 2020Jun 25, 2020Removed by cityPurchased by Joseph Paolino, a former mayor of Providence, and reinstalled in the nearby town of Johnston in 2023.[297]
[298]
[299]
[300]


Statue
Giuseppe Ciochetti, 1927
NewarkNew JerseyJun 25, 2020Jun 25, 2020Removed by cityThe statue was removed from Washington Park due to the risk of people injuring themselves trying to topple it. The statue will be kept in storage until a final determination is reached regarding the statue's fate.[301]
[302]


Statue
William F. Joseph, 1970
DenverColoradoJun 26, 2020Jun 26, 2020Removed by protestersThe statue was originally placed in front of the Denver Civic Center in the 1970s.[303]
[304]


Statue
Gaetano Chiaromonte, 1958
Atlantic CityNew JerseyJun 28, 2020Being removed "to avert potential vandalism"[305]
[306]


Statue
Armando Dattelli, 1957
San AntonioTexasJun 30, 2020Jul 1, 2020Removed by city[307]
[308]
[309]


Statue
Frank Gaylord, 1984
WaterburyConnecticutJul 4, 2020 (reported)Decapitated; later repairedLocated outside Waterbury City Hall[310]
[311][312]


Statue
Mauro Bigarani, 1984
BaltimoreMarylandJul 4, 2020Toppled by protestersAfter the statue was toppled from its base, it was dumped into Baltimore's Inner Harbor.[313]


Statue
Clemente Spampinato, 1964
BridgeportConnecticutNot announcedJul 6, 2020Removed by cityPlaced in storage following removal.[314]
[315]
[316]


Statue
1992
ColumbusWisconsinJul 6, 2020City Council voted to put it in storage until another home is found[317]
[318]


Statue
1959
TrentonNew JerseyJul 7, 2020Jul 8, 2020Removed by city[319]


Relief on the Italian Heritage MonumentNorwichConnecticutJun 24, 2020Planned for SeptemberRemoval ordered by Norwich Italian Heritage & Cultural CommunityThe portrayal of Columbus was ordered to be removed in order to protect the monument from vandalism. The relief will be replaced with a statement honoring Italian immigrants to Norwich.[320]


Statue
Giovanni Polizzi, 1952
BuffaloNew YorkJul 10, 2020Jul 10, 2020Removed by cityColumbus Park, where the statue was located, will be renamed as well.[321]
[322]


Statue
Carlo Brioschi, 1933
Statue
Moses Jacob Ezekiel, 1891

ChicagoIllinoisJul 24, 2020Jul 24, 2020Removed by cityStatues in Grant Park and Little Italy's Arrigo Park ordered removed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot amid continued protests and the deployment of federal forces to Chicago over Lightfoot's objections.[323]
[324]
[325]
[326]


Statue
Richard Henry Park, 1893
ChicagoIllinoisJul 31, 2020Jul 30, 2020Removed by cityA 7-foot tall statue of Columbus, part of the Drake Fountain, was removed on the orders of Mayor Lori Lightfoot. It was the last known monument to Columbus in the city.[327]
[328]


Statue
Laura Bradley Park, 1947
PeoriaIllinoisSep 24, 2020Oct 9, 2020Removed by city[329]
[330]


Statue
Frank Vittor, 1958
PittsburghPennsylvaniaOct 28, 2020Removal approved by Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and Pittsburgh Art Commission. Shrouded.Pending outcome of lawsuit[331]
Park Chula VistaCaliforniaNov 1, 2022Renamed by cityNearly three years after the Statue of Christopher Columbus was removed from the park (see above) the Chula Vista City Council voted unanimously to rename the park that references Columbus's apocryphal discovery of America to Kumeyaay Park of Chula Vista to honor the aboriginal title holders of the land it is in.[266]

Others edit

Monument/memorialCityStateRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
Statue of Edward W. Carmack NashvilleTennesseeMay 30, 2020Toppled by protestersSenator Carmack was an opponent of Ida B. Wells and encouraged retaliation for her support of the civil rights movement.[332]


Statue of Frank Rizzo PhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaJun 3, 2020Removed by city. Mural of Rizzo painted over (see below, under Other artworks).At about 2 am, the statue of Philadelphia police chief and mayor Frank Rizzo was removed.[333]
[334]
[335]


One Riot, One Ranger DallasTexasJun 4, 2020Jun 4, 2020Removed by cityStatue model helped prevent black students from enrolling in public schools.[336]
[337]
[338]


Statue of Orville L. Hubbard DearbornMichiganJun 5, 2020Hubbard, the mayor of Dearborn for 35 years, was an outspoken segregationist.[339]


Statue of Jerry RichardsonCharlotteNorth CarolinaJun 10, 2020Jun 10, 2020Removed by Carolina PanthersRichardson was alleged to be racist and sexist. The statue was removed from the Bank of America Stadium for fear it would be destroyed by protesters.[340]


Bust of Avery BrundageSan FranciscoCaliforniaRemoved by museumBrundage was a founding patron of the Asian Art Museum, Alleged white supremacist and anti-semite as well as 5th IOC president who expelled Tommie Smith and John Carlos from the 1968 Summer Olympics for raising black-gloved fists while on the podium. Bust moved from prominent position in foyer of museum to storage.[341]
[342]
[343]


Richmond Police MemorialRichmondVirginiaJun 11, 2020Jun 11, 2020Removed by city after being vandalized by protestersDedicated to Richmond police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty. Removed from Byrd Park after repeated vandalization. The mayor's office stated the statue would be restored and reinstalled.[344]


Statue of Philip Schuyler AlbanyNew YorkJun 11, 2020Plans for removal by cityRemoval ordered by mayor Kathy Sheehan due to the fact that Schuyler owned slaves.[345]


Delaware Law Enforcement MemorialDoverDelawareJun 12, 2020Vandalized by protesters, removed by city for restorationStatue partially decapitated. The adjacent memorial wall was unaffected.[346]


Equestrian statue of Caesar Rodney WilmingtonDelawareJun 12, 2020Jun 12, 2020Removed by cityRodney was a slave owner. Removal ordered by mayor Mike Purzycki to be stored while the display of the statue is discussed.[260]


Bust of John McDonogh New OrleansLouisianaJun 13, 2020Removed by protestersProtesters removed the bust from Duncan Plaza and rolled it into the Mississippi River.[347]


The Pioneer EugeneOregonJun 13, 2020Toppled and dragged by protestersThe University of Oregon placed its two Pioneer statues in storage on June 14[348][349]


The Pioneer Mother EugeneOregonJun 13, 2020Toppled by protestersThe University of Oregon placed its two Pioneer statues in storage on June 14[348][349]


Statue of Thomas Jefferson at Jefferson High School PortlandOregonJun 14, 2020Toppled after Black Lives Matter protest, allegedly by people unassociated with protest1916 bronze replica of 1911 statue by Karl Bitter[350]


Statue of Josephus DanielsRaleighNorth CarolinaJun 16, 2020Jun 16, 2020Removed by Daniels's descendantsThe statue was located near The News & Observer building, which is scheduled to be demolished. Daniels's family claims to have acted on their own accord rather than on pressure from activists, and will keep the statue in storage until a decision is made on its ultimate fate.[351]


Statue of John Sutter SacramentoCaliforniaJun 16, 2020Jun 16, 2020Removed by Sutter HealthThe statue was located in front of Sutter General Hospital. Sutter was a California Gold Rush pioneer who enslaved Native Americans.[352]


Monument to William Clark
See image
PortlandOregon June 17–18, 2020Removed by the University of PortlandThe university removed the monument "as a precaution".[353]


Statue of George Washington PortlandOregonJun 18, 2020Toppled by protesters[354]


Statue of Francis Scott Key San FranciscoCaliforniaJun 18, 2020Toppled by protestersPart of a group of statues toppled in Golden Gate Park.[232]


Bust of Ulysses S. Grant San FranciscoCaliforniaJun 18, 2020Toppled by protestersPart of a group of statues toppled in Golden Gate Park.[232]


Statue of Calvin GriffithMinneapolisMinnesotaRemoved by Minnesota TwinsGriffith was the former owner of the Minnesota Twins; the statue was removed due to racist statements made by Griffith in 1978 suggesting he moved the team to Minnesota due to the low number of African-American residents.[355]


Monument to George Preston MarshallWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaJun 19, 2020Removed by Events DCRemoved from Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. Washington Redskins' front office was not consulted.[356]
[357]
[358]
[359]


Statue of Thomas JeffersonDecaturGeorgiaJun 19, 2020Jun 19, 2020Removed by cityThe statue was previously located in front of the old city courthouse. A city official claimed the statue was removed to protect it from damage.[360]


Equestrian Statue of Theodore Roosevelt New York CityNew YorkJun 20, 2020Jan 19, 2022Removed by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, moving from city-owned land to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library FoundationTheodore Roosevelt on horseback accompanied by walking figures of two men, one a Native American and one African; in front of the American Museum of Natural History.[361]
[362]

[363]


Forward MadisonWisconsinJun 23, 2020Removed by protesters. Later restored."Forward" is the motto of the state of Wisconsin. A 1998 bronze replica of a commissioned 1893 work of the Wisconsin female artist Jean Pond Miner. Repaired and restored to its original site on 21 September 2021.[364]

[365]


John C. Calhoun Monument CharlestonSouth CarolinaJun 22, 2020Jun 23, 2020Removed by cityCalhoun was a leading advocate of slavery. The statue may be placed back on display at "an appropriate site" such as a museum.[366]


Statue of Thomas Jefferson HempsteadNew YorkJun 23, 2020Moved by universityStatue at Hofstra University moved from student center main entrance to university museum.[367]


Statue of Hans Christian Heg MadisonWisconsinJun 23, 2020Removed by protesters. Later restored.Heg was a Union Army colonel in the Civil War, and an abolitionist. His statue was decapitated and thrown into a lake by protesters. Two protesters interviewed by the media alleged that toppling the statue was to draw attention to their view of Wisconsin as being racially unjust. The statue was repaired and restored to its original location on September 21, 2021.[368]
[369]
[370]

[365]


Emancipation Memorial (replica) BostonMassachusettsJun 30, 2020Dec 29, 2020[371][372]


Thompson Elk Fountain PortlandOregonJul 1, 2020Statue removed by city after fires set by protesters seriously damaged its base. Base has been mostly dismantled.[373]
[374]
[375]


Statue of George Whitefield PhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaJul 2, 2020Whitefield was a supporter of slavery.[376]


Statue of Frederick DouglassRochesterNew YorkJul 5, 2020Torn down by unknown perpetrators. Later restored.Maplewood Park is a site along the Underground Railroad where Douglass and Harriet Tubman helped shuttle slaves to freedom. Removal occurred on the anniversary of Douglass's famous 1852 "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" speech in Rochester.[377]
[378]
[379]


Statue of Andrew Jackson JacksonMississippiJul 7, 2020City Council voted to remove statue in front of City Hall.[380]


Statue of Thomas RuffinRaleighNorth CarolinaNot announcedJul 13, 2020Was in front of North Carolina Court of Appeals. Removed by Court.Ruffin, a Chief Justice, was a slaveowner and author of pro-slavery rulings.[381]


Statue of Hiawatha La CrosseWisconsinJul 13, 2020Mayor has asked for its removal following request of sculptor's family.[382]


Statue of Jesus ChristMiamiFloridaJul 15, 2020 (discovered)Decapitated and knocked off a pedestal.At Good Shepherd Catholic Church.[383]


Statue of the Virgin MaryChattanoogaTennesseeJul 15, 2020 (discovered)Statue was torn down and decapitated; head stolen.The motive for the destruction is unknown. Local police stated that the toppling is a possible hate crime.[384]


Monument to the 77th New York Volunteer Infantry (Union Army unit) Saratoga SpringsNew YorkJul 16, 2020 (discovered)Statue was torn off pedestal and destroyed.The motive and perpetrator behind the destruction are both unknown. The statue was located in a park where many other monuments have historically been vandalized.[385]
[386]


Bust of Roger B. TaneyWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaJul 22, 2020Voted by the House of RepresentativesThe bust of Chief Justice Taney, outside the Old Supreme Court Chamber, will be replaced with a bust of Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court Justice. Taney wrote the majority opinion in Dred Scott v. Sandford, stating that African Americans were not citizens and had no rights.[387]


Statue of Francis Drake
Dennis Patton, 1990
LarkspurCaliforniaJul 29, 2020Jul 29, 2020Removed by cityThe statue was removed by the city authorities, some of whom cited safety concerns. The statue became a target for vandalism because of Sir Francis Drake's association with colonialism, the transatlantic slave trade, and piracy.[388]
[389]
[390]
[391]


Statue of Louis XVI
Achille Valois, 1829
LouisvilleKentuckySep 3, 2020Removed by cityCiting protest-related vandalism damage and possible protester injuries during further vandalism attempts, officials decided to store the statue indefinitely. Mayor Greg Fischer said that it may be repaired and placed back on display.[392]
[393]


Statue of Harvey W. Scott
Gutzon Borglum, 1933
PortlandOregonOct 20, 2020Toppled by protestorsThe statue was located on Mount Tabor, and was replaced by the bust of York, which was created by Todd McGrain and installed without authorization by the City of Portland. The bust was also toppled and later removed.[394][395]


Statue of John O'Donnell
Tylden Streett, 1980
Canton, BaltimoreMarylandApr 5, 2021Removed to an undisclosed locationO'Donnell founded Canton in 1786 as a slave plantation.[396]
[397]


Memorial to Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
Charles Keck, 1919
CharlottesvilleVirginiaJul 10, 2021Jul 10, 2021Removed by cityThe sculpture shows Sacagawea in a submissive pose. The decision to remove the monument was made in an emergency meeting of Charlottesville City Council, when the contracting company which had removed two Confederate statues earlier that day offered to remove this monument at no extra cost.[210]
[398]
[399]


Monument to George Rogers Clark
Robert Ingersoll Aitken, 1921
CharlottesvilleVirginiaJul 11, 2021Removed by the University of VirginiaRemoved to storage a day after the dismantling of three other monuments in Charlottesville. The university will work with a committee to decide on a new site.[400]
[401]


Statue of Walt WhitmanCamdenNew JerseyJul 12, 2021The statue of the poet, prominently located in the Campus Center courtyard at Rutgers University–Camden, will be removed to another site on campus.[402]


Statue of Pete Wilson
2007
San DiegoCaliforniaOct 15, 2021Temporarily removed by Horton Walk, the nonprofit that owns the statueActivists for racial justice and gay rights held a press conference in front of the statue on Broadway Circle at Horton Plaza Park on October 12, 2020, "in the wake of nationwide demands for the removal of statues of confederate generals and people who owned slaves". The statue was removed on October 15 due to "safety concerns". The president of the nonprofit that owns the statue later issued a statement that the statue was reinstated on November 30 and that it was a "symbol of all that is great about San Diego". Wilson has been widely criticized for signing Proposition 187 and the Three Strikes Law.[403][404][405]


Statue of Thomas Jefferson
Pierre-Jean David d'Angers, 1834
New York CityNew YorkOct 19, 2021Nov 22, 2021Removed to the New-York Historical SocietyOn October 18, the city's Public Design Commission voted unanimously to remove the statue in the New York City Council chamber.[406]
[407]


Monument to Thomas Fallon
Robert Glen, 1990
San JoseCaliforniaNov 10, 2021San Jose City Council voted unanimously on November 9 to remove the monument.[408]

[409]


United Kingdom edit

Atlantic slave trade edit

The Royal African Company, which engaged in African slave trading between 1662 and 1731,[411] enslaved and shipped more Africans to the Americas than any other institution in the history of the Atlantic slave trade.[412]

Monument/memorialLocationRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
Statue of Edward Colston
John Cassidy, 1895
BristolJun 7, 2020Toppled by protestersThe statue of Edward Colston, a slave trader, was toppled and thrown into Bristol Harbour by protesters. The statue was fished out, but the city council did not reinstall it, waiting for a democratic decision from the people of Bristol on what to do with it. On July 15, it was briefly replaced by Marc Quinn's A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) 2020, a sculpture of a protester who had been photographed standing on the vacant plinth with her fist raised; the council removed this work the next day. In June 2021, the defaced statue was put on display at the city's M Shed museum.[413]
[414]
[415]
[416]


Statue of Robert Milligan
Richard Westmacott, 1813
LondonJun 9, 2020Jun 9, 2020Removed by local authoritiesStatue of Robert Milligan, a Scottish merchant and slave trader, outside the Museum of London Docklands. It was removed following a request from the Canal & River Trust.[417]
[418]


Statue of Sir John CassLondonJun 11, 2020Jun 11, 2020Removed by ownerStatue of Sir John Cass at the University of East London Stratford Campus.[419]
[420]


Statue of Sir Robert Clayton
Grinling Gibbons, 1714
LondonJun 11, 2020Plans for removal by ownerStatue of Sir Robert Clayton at St Thomas' Hospital. On June 11 the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, the Guy's and St Thomas' Charity, and King's College London issued a joint statement announcing that the statues of Clayton and Thomas Guy would be removed from public view.[421]
[422]


Statue of Thomas Guy
Peter Scheemakers, 1734
LondonJun 11, 2020Plans for removal by ownerStatue of Thomas Guy at Guy's Hospital. On June 11 the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, the Guy's and St Thomas' Charity, and King's College London issued a joint statement announcing that the statues of Guy and Sir Robert Clayton would be removed from public view.[423]
[422]


Statue of Sir John Cass
1998 (After Louis-François Roubiliac, 1751)
LondonJun 12, 2020Before July 19, 2020Removed by ownerStatue of Sir John Cass on the façade of 31 Jewry Street in the City of London, the headquarters of Sir John Cass's Foundation. This statue is a fiberglass replica of the original.[419]

[424]
[425]


Statue and bust of Sir John CassLondonJun 16, 2020Removed by ownerStatue and bust of Sir John Cass at Sir John Cass Redcoat School, Stepney. The school's governing body voted unanimously on June 16 for the immediate removal of the sculptures. The school has since changed its name to Stepney All Saints School.[426]
[427]


Bust of Sir John Cass LondonJun 18, 2020Jun 18, 2020Removed by churchBust of Sir John Cass in St Botolph's Church, Aldgate.[428]
[429]


Statue of Sir Thomas Picton
T. Mewburn Crook, 1916
CardiffJul 23, 2020Plans for removal by ownerOn July 23, Cardiff Council voted to remove the statue from the gallery of Welsh heroes inside City Hall, on account of Picton's links to the slave trade, and his authorizing of the torture of a 14-year-old girl while Governor of Trinidad. Immediately following the vote, the statue was encased in wooden boards to hide it from view until it could be removed.[430]
[431]
[432]


Bust of Sir Hans Sloane
John Michael Rysbrack, 1730s
LondonNot announcedAug 25, 2020 (newspaper story)Relocated by the British MuseumSloane was a slave owner and partly funded his collection, which became the founding collection of the British Museum, from enslaved labour on Jamaican sugar plantations. His bust in the museum's Enlightenment gallery was moved to a display case in the same gallery stressing his connections to colonialism and slavery.[433]
[434]
[435]
[436]


Monument to John Gordon DorchesterSep 24, 2020May 19, 2023Removed by parochial church council (PCC) and given to local museumWall monument in St. Peter's Church to John Gordon, who played a role in suppressing Tacky's Revolt, a slave rebellion in Jamaica in 1760. The PCC voted to remove the monument and offer it to a museum. After going through the church planning process, the monument was finally removed on May 19, 2023 and given to Dorset Museum. A replacement monument will bear the details of Gordon's life and death only, with no mention of the uprising.[437]
[438]
[439]


Others edit

Monument/memorialLocationRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
Part of Green Man inn sign
18th century
Ashbourne, Derbyshirec. Jun 7, 2020Jun 8, 2020Removed by local residentsWooden sculpture of a caricatured "black's head". After a Facebook petition calling for its removal attracted close to 30,000 signatures, the district council announced that on June 9 it would be removing the sculpture. Before this could happen, it was removed by two local residents on the night of June 8.[440]
[441]


Dunham Massey sundial
Attr. to Andries Carpentière, c. 1735
Trafford, Greater ManchesterJun 11, 2020Jun 11, 2020Removed by the National TrustStatue of an exoticized black man (described as "degrading"), in a kneeling position and carrying a sundial, formerly installed in the forecourt of Dunham Massey Hall.[442]
[443]
[444]


Headstones of G. H. Elliott (pictured) and Alice Banford
1962
Rottingdean, East SussexJun 16, 2020Jun 15, 2020Removed after authorization by the Chancellor of Chichester DioceseThe gravestones of the music hall singers, who performed in blackface and were described on the stones as "The Chocolate Coloured Coon" and "Coon Dancer" respectively, were removed from St Margaret's Churchyard to a secure place.[445]


Pet gravestone at Coombe Abbey Park
1902
Rugby, WarwickshireBefore Jul 2, 2020Removed by Coventry City CouncilIn July 2019 a visitor to the park reported the name "Nigger" inscribed on the gravestone of a pet dog, but no action was taken at the time. After its absence was noticed following the George Floyd protests, the council (which operates the park) confirmed that it had removed the gravestone.[446]


Headstone for the dog Nigger
1943
RAF Scampton, LincolnshireJul 16, 2020Removed by the Royal Air ForceThe headstone for the grave of Guy Gibson's dog was replaced, removing any mention of the dog's name.[447]
[448]


A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) 2020
Marc Quinn and Jen Reid, 2020
BristolJul 16, 2020Jul 16, 2020Removed by Bristol City Council because the sculpture had been placed without permission on the plinth of the statue of Edward ColstonBlack resin sculpture by Marc Quinn and Jen Reid. It depicts Reid, a young black woman protester, raising her arm in a Black Power salute, reproducing a photo of her on the plinth, taken just after the removal of the previous statue by protesters.[415]


Belgium edit

King Leopold II of Belgium personally ruled the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908, treating it as his personal property. During this period, many well-documented atrocities were perpetrated against the population, including the severing of hands of workers unable to meet a production quota for rubber, and the destruction of entire villages that were unwilling to participate in the forced labour regime. These acts contributed to a genocide during this period, often estimated at between five million and ten million.

Monument/memorialLocationRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
Statue of Leopold II
Joseph Jacques Ducaju, 1873
Ekeren, AntwerpJun 9, 2020Jun 9, 2020Removed by municipalityRemoved after it had been vandalized and set on fire.[449]
[450]
[451]


Bust of Leopold IIMonsJun 10, 2020Removed by university authoritiesRemoved from the Faculty of Economics and Management at the University of Mons following an online petition for its removal. Permanently placed in storage.[452]
[453]


Bust of Leopold II Auderghem, BrusselsJun 11, 2020Toppled during the nightThe bust was pulled down, red paint was splashed on it, and a photograph of Patrice Lumumba, the independent Congo's first prime minister, was placed on the pedestal.[454]


Bust of Leopold IILeuvenRemoved by university authoritiesRemoved from University Library at KU Leuven. Placed in storage.[b][455]
[456]


Bust of Leopold IIGhentJun 30, 2020Removed by crane following a short ceremonyRemoved from Zuidpark on the 60th anniversary of Congo's independence, and moved to a warehouse in STAM.[457]
[458]
[459]

New Zealand edit

Royal Navy officer John Fane Charles Hamilton, after whom the city of Hamilton is named, played a prominent part in the Tauranga campaign of the New Zealand Wars.

Monument/memorialLocationRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
Statue of John Fane Charles Hamilton
Margriet Windhausen, 2013
HamiltonJun 12, 2020Jun 12, 2020Removed by cityCity Council announced removal after request by Maori tribal confederation Waikato Tainui.[460]
[461]
[462]


South Africa edit

Statues that come down in South Africa were preceded by and done in the context of the Rhodes Must Fall movement that resulted in the removal of a statue of Cecil Rhodes at the University of Cape Town.

Monument/memorialLocationRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
Statue of Martinus Theunis Steyn
Anton van Wouw, 1929
BloemfonteinNot announcedJun 27, 2020The statue, which "dominated" the main campus of the University of the Free State, was moved to the Anglo-Boer War Museum.[463]
[464]


Bust of Cecil Rhodes, at the Rhodes Memorial
John Macallan Swan, 1912
Cape TownNot announcedJul 13, 2020 (discovered)Removed after being decapitated by protesters.The head was repaired and reattached in September 2020.[465]
[466]
[467]
[468]
[469]


India edit

Monument/memorialLocationRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
Equestrian statue of Mark Cubbon
Carlo Marochetti, 1866
BangaloreJun 28, 2020A controversial statue of Sir Mark Cubbon, an English colonial administrator, was moved from front of the High Court of Karnataka building to Sri Chamarajendra Park. See Mark Cubbon#Death and legacy.[470]
[471]
[472]


France edit

On May 22, 2020, before the murder of George Floyd, two statues of Victor Schœlcher were torn down in Martinique, an overseas department of France.[473] Further colonial monuments in the overseas departments were targeted later in the year and in 2021; those which were mutilated in the period after May 25, 2020, are listed here.

The French president Emmanuel Macron declared his opposition to removing statues relating to France's colonial history on June 14, 2020.[474]

Monument/memorialLocationRegionRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
Bust of Victor SchœlcherBasse-TerreGuadeloupe Night of Jul 23–24, 2020DecapitatedThe bust was stolen overnight, and discovered more than 40 kilometers away the following morning.[citation needed]


Statue of the Empress Joséphine
Gabriel Vital Dubray, 1859
Fort-de-FranceMartiniqueJul 26, 2020Toppled by protestersJoséphine, the first wife of Napoleon, was born on Martinique to a family that owned a sugar plantation. This statue was commissioned by her grandson Napoleon III, and had been missing its head since 1991.[473]
[475]


Statue of Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc
1935
Fort-de-FranceMartiniqueJul 26, 2020Destroyed by protestersBelain founded the French colony at Martinique in 1635. In a video posted on social media, activists warned that the statues of Belain and Joséphine would be targeted unless they were officially removed by July 26.[473]
[476]


Statue of Voltaire
Léon-Ernest Drivier
ParisÎle-de-FranceAug 17, 2020c. Aug 17, 2020Removed by city authoritiesThe philosophe invested in the French East India Company in the 1740s, when it was engaged in the Atlantic slave trade. His statue in the Square Honoré-Champion was said to have been removed temporarily for conservation; it will be re-erected at another location.[477]
[478]
[479]


Memorial to Victor Schœlcher
1998
Le DiamantMartiniqueMar 5, 2021DecapitatedThe monument had been erected to mark the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery on Martinique; there are no plans to replace it.[480]


Barbados edit

Monument/memorialLocationRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
Statue of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Sir Richard Westmacott, 1813
BridgetownJul 24, 2020Nov 16, 2020Removed by governmentOn July 24 John King, the Minister with responsibility for Culture, announced that the statue would be removed during the national Season of Emancipation, which came to an end on August 23. The removal was postponed in order to concentrate available funds on completing and opening a park in Saint Thomas, and eventually occurred on the International Day for Tolerance. The statue will be rehoused in the Barbados Museum.[481]
[482]
[483]
[484]
[485]


Canada edit

In Canada, removed statues were attacked in a general anticolonialism context rather than being directly linked to the typical BLM targets in Britain or the United States.

Monument/memorialLocationProvinceRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
A Canadian Conversation
Sir John A. Macdonald
Ruth Abernethy, 2016
BadenOntarioJul 27, 2020c. September 3, 2020Put into storageWilmot Township Council voted on July 27 for the statue's immediate removal.[486]
[487]
[488]


Monument to Sir John A. Macdonald
George Edward Wade, 1895
MontrealQuebecAug 30, 2020Statue toppled and decapitated by protestersThe toppling occurred during a Defund the Police protest; the statue had been a target of vandalism in the past.[489]
[490]


Ireland edit

Monument/memorialLocationRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
Égyptienne and Négresse statues
Mathurin Moreau, 1867
DublinJul 27, 2020Jul 27, 2020Removed by ownersThe Shelbourne Hotel on St. Stephen's Green removed the four exterior statues "in light of recent world events". The statues have been said to represent "two Nubian Princesses and their shackled slave girls", a view which may derive from a 1951 book on the hotel by Elizabeth Bowen. After an examination by UCD art history professor Paula Murphy concluded that the statues were not representations of slaves and that the "shackles" were golden anklets indicating aristocratic status, it was announced that they would be restored to their plinths. They were reinstated on December 14.[491]
[492]
[493]
[494]


Colombia edit

Monument/memorialLocationDepartmentRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
Equestrian statue of Sebastián de Belalcázar
Victorio Macho, 1937
PopayánCaucaSep 16, 2020Toppled by protestersToppled and decapitated by members of the Misak indigenous community. Belalcázar was a Spanish conquistador credited with the foundation of important cities in modern-day Colombia and Ecuador. The monument was located on top of Morro del Tulcán, an indigenous archaeological site.[495]


Removals under consideration edit

Some officials have announced their decisions to remove monuments under their jurisdiction, and are currently working to push through whatever legislative or permission barriers they need to accomplish their goals.

Other artworks edit

United States edit

ArtworkCityStateRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
Ceiling mural in the lobby of McGill–Toolen Catholic High SchoolMobileAlabamaJun 3, 2020Jun 3, 2020Removed by schoolA mural in McGill–Toolen Catholic High School reproduces the former seal of Mobile, which included the Confederate flag. The Archdiocese of Mobile painted over the Confederate flag section so that it now resembles the Alabama state flag.[508]


Fresco in Memorial HallLexingtonKentuckyJun 5, 2020Plans for removal by schoolThe fresco in the foyer of University of Kentucky's Memorial Hall has been criticized for its romanticized depiction of African-American slaves. The University President announced that it would be removed. However, there has been considerable opposition.[509]
[510]
[511]
[512]


Frank Rizzo MuralPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaJun 7, 2020Jun 7, 2020Painted over by cityMural painted over in the early morning.[513]
[514]


America Receiving the Gifts of Nations CamdenNew JerseyJun 18, 2020 Reported covered on June 23Covered by universityThe mosaic on the façade of the main entrance to the former Cooper Branch Library, now a building of Rutgers University–Camden, depicts Columbus, and indigenous people in subservient positions. Obscured while the university explores long-term options.[515]
[516]
[517]


Stained glass window in the Cathedral of the RockiesBoiseIdahoJun 18, 2020Removal ordered by churchThe stained glass window depicts Robert E. Lee standing next to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. It will be donated to the Idaho Black History Museum if it is removed intact.[518]


Four Confederate portraits in the United States Capitol WashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaJun 18, 2020Jun 19, 2020Removal ordered by House Speaker Nancy PelosiRemoval of portraits of four House Speakers who served in the Confederacy – Robert M. T. Hunter, Howell Cobb, James Lawrence Orr, and Charles Frederick Crisp (pictured) – on Juneteenth.[519]


Baker Memorial Library weather vane
Stanley Orcutt, 1928 (design)
HanoverNew HampshireJun 15, 2020Jun 25, 2020Removed by universityThe weather vane depicts a Native American sitting on the ground in front of Dartmouth College's founder, Eleazar Wheelock. The university's president, Philip J. Hanlon, stated that the portrayal of the Native American did not reflect Dartmouth's values.[520]
[521]
[522]


United Kingdom edit

ArtworkLocationRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
Stained glass windows in Bristol Cathedral and St Mary Redcliffe BristolJun 15, 2020Jun 16, 2020Removed by the Diocese of BristolWindow panes commemorating Edward Colston at the parish church were removed, and similar panes at the cathedral have been covered up until they can be safely removed.[523]


Sir Ronald Fisher window at Gonville and Caius College
Maria Ulatowska McClafferty, 1989
CambridgeJul 29, 2020Removed to storage by the collegeThe window commemorates Sir Ronald Fisher, a statistician and eugenicist. It is one of a series of windows marking scientific discoveries made by former members of the college, and depicts a Latin square, studied by Fisher. The college council decided on June 24 to remove the window, subject to listed building consent.[524]
[525]
[526]


Portraits of governors and directors of the Bank of England LondonAug 27, 2021Removed from display by the BankOn June 18, 2020, the Bank announced a review of its collection of portraits of former governors and directors. This resulted in the removal from display of eight oil paintings and two busts of figures linked to the slave trade, including Gilbert Heathcote, James Bateman, Robert Bristow, Robert Clayton (pictured), William Dawsonne, William Manning and John Pearse.[527]
[528]


France edit

In metropolitan France, one of the few artworks connected to racism removed in this period is a mural paying tribute to George Floyd and Adama Traoré. The death of Adama Traoré in 2016 caused the Justice pour Adama movement against racism and police violence, which was reactivated in 2020, inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States.

ArtworkCityDépartementRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
Mural in tribute to George Floyd and Adama TraoréStainsSeine-Saint-DenisJun 22, 2020The Seine-Saint-Denis prefect authorised the preservation of the mural itself, but ordered the Communist mayor of Stains to erase the phrase Contre le racisme et les violences policières ("Against racism and police violence") contained in it, or at least the reference to "police violence", because the police union "Alliance" felt offended, in a context where police violence cases have been multiplying in France since 2018. Since the mayor did not obey, the prefect repeated the order on July 3. On the night of July 4–5, the painting was vandalized.The mural depicts the faces of Adama Traoré and George Floyd in shades of grey and standing out from a sunny blue sky, with the phrase Contre le racisme et les violences policières written above in black, white and red.[529]
[530]
[531]
[532]


Plaques and signs edit

United States edit

PlaqueCityStateRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
University of Alabama Confederate Army plaquesTuscaloosaAlabamaJune 8June 9Removed by schoolThe three plaques near the library commemorate University students who joined the Confederate military and University cadets who helped defend the campus. The University stated that they "will be placed at a more appropriate historical setting".[533]
[534]
[535]


Historic sign saying Bowling Green was the Confederate capital of KentuckyBowling GreenKentuckyNot announcedAbout August 25Removed by Western Kentucky University administration[162]


Plaque and stone that honored Stephen DouglasChicagoIllinoisAnnounced June 7Removed by owner, University of Chicago[536]


John H. Winder plaqueSalisburyMarylandJune 12June 12Removed by Wicomico CountyThe plaque was located next to the Wicomico County Courthouse. It was personally removed by Wicomico County officials.[537]


Words engraved at the base of the Hannah Duston statueHaverhillMassachusettsApril 27, 2021Removal approved by Haverhill City CouncilCity Council voted to leave the statue in the park, but to remove the hatchet and words inscribed in the statue’s granite base describing Native Americans as savages.[538]


Woodrow Wilson's desk as Governor (plaque)TrentonNew JerseyAnnounced July 2No longer being used by Phil Murphy, Governor of New Jersey[539]
Maryland State House plaqueAnnapolisMarylandJune 15Removal approved by Maryland State House TrustThe plaque was installed during the Civil Rights Movement. It honors Marylanders who fought on both sides of the Civil War; the plaque claims not to "take sides".[540]


Plaques honoring Simon Baruch and Alexander Stephens
Plaques honoring Matthew Fontaine Maury and Maupin-Maury House
Plaque honoring surgeon John Syng Dorsey Cullen
RichmondVirginiaJuly 16Committee at Virginia Commonwealth University recommends these changes; approval expected.Various plaques commemorating members of the Confederacy placed across University[199]


United Kingdom edit

PlaqueLocationRemoval announcedRemovedMeans of removalNotesRef.
Plaque to Sir Thomas Picton HaverfordwestJun 10, 2020Removed at the request of the building's ownerBlue plaque at the birthplace of the general and governor of Trinidad. The building's owner had the plaque removed due to fears that it could be targeted by protesters. It was reported that the plaque would be displayed in Haverfordwest Town Museum from 2021.[541]


Plaque to Thomas Phillips Brecon Before Jun 11, 2020Removed by an unknown personPlaque unveiled at Captain's Walk in 2010; it marked the site of the house of Thomas Phillips (c. 1665–1713), captain of the Hannibal slave ship. Brecon Town Council had already agreed to a review of the plaque, but it was removed by an unknown person before any decision about its fate could be made.[542]
[543]


Plaque to Sir Edward Codrington BrightonJun 12, 2020Removed by the building's managing agentBlue plaque marking the residence of Sir Edward Codrington at Codrington Mansion, Western Road.[544]


Buildings edit

The following buildings were destroyed, torn down, or heavily damaged during the George Floyd protests due to their perceived racist heritage:

BuildingCityStateDate of incidentNotesRef.
Market House FayettevilleNorth CarolinaMay 30The Market House Building, a tourist attraction and museum on the site of a former slave market, was set on fire by demonstrators chanting "Black Lives Matter". The demonstrators used wood pallets to encourage a larger fire.[545]
[546]


Memorial to the Women of the Confederacy RichmondVirginiaMay 31The national headquarters of the United Daughters of the Confederacy was set on fire. Windows were broken and fire set to the curtains hanging in the building's main library. Flames covered most of the front of the building; 9 fire trucks responded. Firefighters asked for and received police protection. There was extensive smoke and water damage throughout the building and charring on the building's Georgia marble façade. All the books in the library incurred some damage and library shelving was destroyed. Some Stonewall Jackson memorabilia, including his Confederate flag, were destroyed.[547][non-primary source needed]
[548]
[547]
[549]


Old Market House LouisvilleGeorgiaPendingThe structure is a former slave market; it was built in 1795 and is located in the downtown area of Louisville. The Old Market House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as one of the few surviving slave markets in the United States and the sole surviving market in Georgia. In July 2020, a fourteen-person commission was established by the city to determine the structure's future. The commission voted unanimously to remove the building; this decision was re-affirmed by the Louisville City Council on August 11, 2020. The city wishes to move the Old Market House to a museum, although no formal plan has been approved.[550]


See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Also known as the "Daughters of the Confederacy Monument".
  2. ^ Rector Luc Sels's statement on the issue leaves open the possibility of the bust eventually coming out of storage.[455]

References edit

Further reading edit

External links edit