Gen. Lee statue can be removed, Virginia Supreme Court rules

BY DENISE LAVOIE and SARAH RANKIN
Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Supreme Court of Virginia has ruled unanimously that the iconic statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee can be removed from its place of honor in Richmond. Virginia promised in 1890 to forever maintain the statue. Historians testified that it was erected to honor the southern white citizenry’s defense of a pre-Civil War life that depended on subjugating Black people. Now it’s widely seen as a symbol of white supremacy and Black oppression. The justices said “values change and public policy changes too” in a democracy. Thursday’s ruling denies claims by private citizens who tried to block Gov. Ralph Northam’s removal order.