75-foot North Carolina Confederate monument to be removed from Capitol grounds following Gov. Cooper's order
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- The North Carolina Confederate Monument is being removed from Capitol grounds in Raleigh following Gov. Cooper's call for all Confederate monuments to be removed from the area.
Spectators gathered early Sunday morning to watch crews remove the 75-foot monument throughout the day.
The soldier atop the monument was removed around 9 a.m. and crews began dismantling the obelisk around 1 p.m.
Around 2 p.m., the first attempt at removing the obelisk was made. The rod drilled into the statue appeared to bend while the crane started to lift the monument.
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The monument was dedicated in May 1895, 30 years after the end of the Civil War.
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Two Confederate monuments, including the Daughters of the Confederacy Monument and the Henry Lawson Wyatt Monument, were removed from the Capitol grounds Saturday morning.
The Monument to North Carolina Women of the Confederacy was dedicated in 1914 and was created to recognize the sacrifices of North Carolina women during the Civil War.
The Henry Lawson Wyatt Monument was dedicated in 1912. Wyatt is purported to be the first Confederate Soldier killed in action.
In a statement Saturday, Gov. Roy Cooper said he ordered all monuments on the Capitol grounds to be moved "to protect public safety."
This included the Daughters of the Confederacy Monument, the Henry Lawson Wyatt Monument along with the remainder of the NC Confederate Monument.
Gov. Cooper orders removal of 3 Confederate monuments from Capitol grounds
On Sunday evening, a spokesman with the Sons of Confederate Veterans North Carolina Division issued a statement in part saying, "exploring legal action and working with members of the NC General Assembly to have the monuments returned to their rightful places."
On Friday night, the monument was partially toppled. Demonstrators tore down two statues from the monument and dragged them through the streets of downtown Raleigh.
Demonstrators topple 2 statues from Confederate monument outside NC Capitol building
