© 2024
Virginia's Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Judge Says Tarps Must Come Off Charlottesville Statues

Jordy Yager/Radio IQ

Giant black tarps have covered two Jim Crow-era statues of Civil War generals in Charlottesville for months now. The move was quickly challenged with a lawsuit and on Tuesday a judge finally ruled.

The tarps covering the statues of Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee must come down, a state judge ruled Tuesday. Anti-statue protesters were not pleased and rallied outside the courthouse.

Credit Sandy Hausman/Radio IQ
City crews cover the statue of Stonewall Jackson in August 2017.

Last year, Charlottesville’s city council voted to remove the two statues, but a pending lawsuit is temporarily blocking that move. Following the August 12th white supremacist rally, city councilors voted to cover Lee and Jackson in the meantime. One councilor suggested that the tarps be shrouds, used as a sign of mourning for the three people who died on August 12th.

Since then, the tarps have been surrounded by controversy. Pro-statue advocates tore them down within days of going up, but that didn’t violate any laws. And so City Council voted to erect mesh fencing around the base of the statues, saying that to cross over it would be trespassing. Since then, several people have removed the tarps several times, resulting in several arrests.

On Tuesday, Charlottesville Circuit Court Judge Richard Moore ruled in favor of removing the tarps. The judge gave the city 15 days to take them down.

In a statement, the city said it would respect the judge's decision but also move forward with redesigning  the parks.

City crews removed the tarps early Wednesday morning.

Statement from the City of Charlottesville:

On Tuesday, February 27, Charlottesville Circuit Court Judge Richard Moore ruled that the City of Charlottesville must remove the coverings from the statues in Emancipation and Justice Parks.

From the beginning the City Council’s intention for the shrouds was to mourn the loss of life and the severe injuries that members of our community suffered on August 12th. In part, the judge's ruling is based upon his opinion that the shrouds were not temporary in nature.

The City is disappointed by the ruling but will respect the court’s decision. We are looking forward to the process of redesigning our downtown parks to promote a more complete history of our community.

Related Content