The mayor of Lexington, Kentucky, is taking action to remove two Confederate-era monuments from his city’s former courthouse after the deadly clashes in Virginia.
Mayor Jim Gray revealed his intention Saturday after the attack in Charlottesville. He said he planned to announce it this week, but the incident prompted him to declare his intentions earlier.
Violent clashes between white nationalists and counter-protesters left three people dead in Charlottesville, including a woman killed when a driver plowed into a group of counterprotesters. Dozens more were injured.
In a series of tweets, Gray said that he will ask the the city council to support his petition for removal of the monuments to the Kentucky Military Heritage Commission on Tuesday.
The statues of John Hunt Morgan and John C. Breckinridge are on the grounds of Lexington’s former courthouse, which is set to become a visitor’s center.
John Hunt Morgan served in the Mexican-American war, and fought for the Confederacy until his death in 1864. John C Breckinridge, who was the 14th Vice President of the US, owned slaves.
In a tweet, Lexington’s mayor said “we cannot let them define our future.”
The “Unite the Right” rally that sparked violent clashes Saturday was originally called to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
