Confederate monuments are being taken down amid the George Floyd protest
The death of George Floyd and the aftermath that followed has led to the removal of several confederate monuments around the country as the demand for racial equality grows among the American people.
Controversial monuments, especially Confederate monuments, have become the subject of nationwide debate.
— CNN (@CNN) June 9, 2020
The death of George Floyd is leading to the removal of some of these contentious statues. Here's a look at monuments that have been removed. https://t.co/VmkM2c1XVc
As many of us know, George Floyd was murdered back on Memorial Day in Minneapolis, after an officer has his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly 9 minutes. His death has sparked nationwide protest demanding justice against police brutality and racism.
Stemming from these protest are the calls to remove confederate monuments. The controversy to remove these statues can date back years but in particular the issue in 2015 when Dylan Roof, a white man, killed nine African Americans in a Charleston, South Carolina church in efforts to start a "race war".
The issue flared up once again in 2017, when white nationalist protested the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville, Virginia. During this incident, a counter-protester was killed after the situation turned violent.
As of now, some monuments around the U.S have been removed peacefully by city officials while others have been forcefully removed by protesters.
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What's important to remember is for many Americans, these statues do not represent a heritage of some kind but instead they serve as a reminder of America's dark history when it comes to racial inequality.