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Confederate General Robert E. Lee statue has become focal point in Black Lives Matter protests

By Associated Press

July 2, 2020

America in Turmoil

1/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS / 2017

A statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in the middle of a traffic circle on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va. Just a little over a month ago, the area around Richmond's iconic statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was as quiet and sedate as the statue itself. But since the May 25, police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the area has been transformed into a bustling hub of activity for demonstrators protesting against police brutality and racism.
2/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS / APRIL 7

Sparse traffic around the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Ave near downtown Richmond, Va. After the killing of George Floyd the statue has become the focal point of local protests.
3/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS / JUNE 2

Protesters hold signs near the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va. In response to the protests, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has pledged to take down the statue. But its removal has been at least temporarily blocked by a lawsuit, one of several complaints filed by people who want the monument to stay where it has stood since it was erected in 1890 in this former capital of the Confederacy.
4/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS / JUNE 2

Protesters gather around the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue near downtown in Richmond, Va. In response to the protests, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has pledged to take down the statue. But its removal has been at least temporarily blocked by a lawsuit, one of several complaints filed by people who want the monument to stay where it has stood since it was erected in 1890 in this former capital of the Confederacy.
5/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS / JUNE 2

Protesters gather around the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va. In response to the protests, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has pledged to take down the statue. But its removal has been at least temporarily blocked by a lawsuit, one of several complaints filed by people who want the monument to stay where it has stood since it was erected in 1890 in this former capital of the Confederacy.
6/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Visitors sit on the base of the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, June 24. The statue has become a focal point of protests for the Black Lives Matter movement in the Richmond area.
7/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS

King William High School 2020 graduate Lance Jennings poses on the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue Wednesday, June 24, in Richmond, Va. The statue has become a focal point of protests for the Black Lives Matter movement in the Richmond area.
8/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS / JUNE 8

An inspection crew from the Virginia Department of General Services take measurements as they inspect the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue Monday, June 8, in Richmond, Va. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has ordered the removal of the statue.
9/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS

The parents of King William High School 2020 graduate Lance Jennings, center, take photographs of him on the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue Wednesday June 24, in Richmond, Va. The statue has become a focal point of protests for the Black Lives Matter movement in the Richmond area.
10/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS

King William High School 2020 graduate Lance Jennings poses on the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue Wednesday, June 24, in Richmond, Va. The statue has become a focal point of protests for the Black Lives Matter movement in the Richmond area.
11/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, left, speaks to protesters in front of the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue Thursday June. 4, in Richmond, Va. Fairfax supports the removal of the statue.
12/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS / JUNE 23

Protesters surround the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va. The statue has become a focal point of protests in the area. Just a little over a month ago, the area around Richmond's iconic statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was as quiet and sedate as the statue itself. But since the May 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the area has been transformed into a bustling hub of activity for demonstrators protesting against police brutality and racism.
13/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS / JUNE 23

Protesters gather near the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va. Just a little over a month ago, the area around Richmond's iconic statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was as quiet and sedate as the statue itself. But since the May 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the area has been transformed into a bustling hub of activity for demonstrators protesting against police brutality and racism.
14/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS / JUNE 4

Rev. Robert W. Lee, IV, center, the fourth great nephew of Confederate General Robert E. Lee., speaks to protesters at the foot of the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va. Lee supports the removal of the statue that has been ordered by Va. Gov. Ralph Northam.
15/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chazz Woodson, left, and Aidan Aparicio, both from Richmond, talk on the base of the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue Wednesday, June 24, in Richmond, Va. The statue has become a focal point of protests for the Black Lives Matter movement in the Richmond area.
16/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS / JUNE 6

Demonstrators protest at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. It’s rare for public opinion on social issues to change sharply and swiftly. And yet in the wake of Floyd’s death, polling shows dramatic movement in Americans’ opinions on police brutality and racial injustice.
17/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS / JUNE 5

The Moon as it illuminates the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has ordered the removal of the statue.
18/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS / JUNE 8

An image of George Floyd is projected on the base of the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va. The statue has been the focal point of protester over the death of George Floyd. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has ordered the removal of the statue.
19/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS / JUNE 5

The Moon as it illuminates the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has ordered the removal of the statue.
20/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS / JUNE 21

Isaiah Bowen, right, takes a shot as his dad, Garth Bowen, center, looks on at a basketball hoop in front of the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va. Just a little over a month ago, the area around Richmond's iconic statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was as quiet and sedate as the statue itself. But since the May 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the area has been transformed into a bustling hub of activity for demonstrators protesting against police brutality and racism.
21/21
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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Kate Fowler, left, and KB Brown, right, who work for Studio Two Three of Richmond, work of screenprints at the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue Wednesday, June 24, in Richmond, Va. A new vibe has emerged alongside the raucous atmosphere of protests, one that is more reminiscent of the hippie love and peace festivals of the 1960s. Each day, hundreds of people of all ages and races visit the statue, located on a busy traffic circle and surrounded by grass. The statue has become a focal point of protests for the Black Lives Matter movement in the Richmond area.

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