Officials remove confederate monument in Birmingham, Alabama

Workers on Monday night began taking down a 115-year-old Confederate Soldiers and Sailors monument in a Birmingham, Alabama, park after the city’s mayor vowed to remove the offensive statues. 

The process to remove the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors monument in Birmingham’s Linn Park began on what would have been the 212th birthday of Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy.

His birthday is still celebrated by the state of Alabama, even though many activists and community leaders have sought to change that.

The move to remove the statue came after Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin vowed to remove the monument after demonstrators tried to tear it down on Sunday night in the aftermath of black man George Floyd’s death at the hands of a white police officer.

Confederate Soldiers and Sailors monument removal in Birmingham’s Linn Park began on what would have been the 212th birthday of Jefferson Davis

The base is expected to be removed on Tuesday. Steps containing a Bible, Confederate flag and Birmingham newspaper that were placed as cornerstones will also removed

The base is expected to be removed on Tuesday. Steps containing a Bible, Confederate flag and Birmingham newspaper that were placed as cornerstones will also removed

‘The Legislature enacted a law that prevented cities from removing Confederate statues in the state of Alabama for all 169 cities, so Birmingham is not alone in this fight,’ Woodfin said. 

He continued: ‘Moving forward, what took place in the park put many of the residents and the peaceful protesters in physical danger. In addition to that, it could possibly put our officers in danger.

‘In order to prevent more civil unrest, it is very imperative that we remove this statue in Linn Park. That has a cost to it. 

‘I understand the AG’s office can bring a civil suit against the city and if there’s a judgement rendered from a judge, then we should be held accountable and I am willing to accept that because that is a lower cost than civil unrest in our city.’ 

A large crane removed the top section of the obelisk at the monument at around 10pm Monday, followed by the other sections

A large crane removed the top section of the obelisk at the monument at around 10pm Monday, followed by the other sections

The move to remove the statue came after Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin vowed to remove the monument after demonstrators tried to tear it down on Sunday night

The move to remove the statue came after Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin vowed to remove the monument after demonstrators tried to tear it down on Sunday night

A large crane removed the top section of the obelisk at the monument at around 10pm Monday, followed by the other sections, AL.com reports. 

The base is expected to be removed on Tuesday. Steps containing a Bible, Confederate flag and Birmingham newspaper that were placed as cornerstones will also be removed. 

Confederate monuments across the United States have been a contentious subject for many Americans, sparking mass protest and debate across various cities.

The monument in Linn Park has been subject to a legal fight between the city and Alabama Attorney General’s Office over the state’s historical monuments law.  The city has called for its removal but has failed to win a legal battle against the AG Office.  

'The Legislature enacted a law that prevented cities from removing Confederate statues in the state of Alabama for all 169 cities, so Birmingham is not alone in this fight,' Woodfin said

 ‘The Legislature enacted a law that prevented cities from removing Confederate statues in the state of Alabama for all 169 cities, so Birmingham is not alone in this fight,’ Woodfin said

In 2019, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that the city violated the state’s monument protection law when it placed a plywood screen around the monument in Linn Park in 2017. They were ordered to pay a fine then.

On Monday, Attorney General Steve Marshall said the Alabama Monuments Preservation Act allows him to issue a $25K fine.  

‘Should the City of Birmingham proceed with the removal of the monument in question, based upon multiple conversations I have had today, city leaders understand I will perform the duties assigned to me by the Act to pursue a new civil complaint against the city,’ Marshall said. 

‘In the aftermath of last night’s violent outbreak, I have offered the City of Birmingham the support and resources of my office to restore peace to the city.’  

No fine has yet been imposed but a GoFundMe has been established to help pay for any city fines if they are. 

The removal came after a local archaeologist took to Twitter to suggest ways to bring the obelisk down in Linn Park. 

University of Alabama at Birmingham archaeologist Sarah Parcak shared her suggestions as demonstrators tore down a statue of Confederate Naval captain Charles Linn Sunday night.

A day earlier, protesters in Nashville, Tennessee, toppled a statue of Edward Carmac, a former politician and newspaper publisher who wrote editorials expressing racist views.  

University of Alabama at Birmingham archeologist Sarah Parcak took to Twitter Sunday evening offering details on how to safely bring an obelisk down

University of Alabama at Birmingham archeologist Sarah Parcak took to Twitter Sunday evening offering details on how to safely bring an obelisk down

Parcak’s tweets did not point to any specific protest, but hinted at the Confederate monument in the park, which is an obelisk, and her awareness of the demonstrations that followed the police-related death of Floyd in Minneapolis more than a week ago. She started by saying her comments on Twitter were a public service announcement. 

‘PSA For ANYONE who might be interested in how to pull down an obelisk* safely from an Egyptologist who never ever in a million years thought this advice might come in handy,’ she wrote, explaining in a footnote that she was referring to any obelisk that ‘might be masquerading as a racist monument’. 

Her tweets continued then in detail on how to bring down an obelisk, suggesting two groups of people to do the pulling, but allowing gravity to do most of the work, and the use of ropes and chains.

‘I recommend a rhythmic song. YOU WILL NEED SOMEONE WITH A LOUDSPEAKER DIRECTING. There can be only one person yelling. Everyone will be alternating on rope left right left right not everyone on the same side. No one else near the obelisk! Safety first!’ she wrote in one of the tweets. 

Parcak tweeted detailed the detailed instructions on how to topple an obelisk safely Sunday evening as demonstrators in the city's Linn Park tore down a statue of Confederate Naval captain Charles Linn Sunday night

Parcak tweeted detailed the detailed instructions on how to topple an obelisk safely Sunday evening as demonstrators in the city’s Linn Park tore down a statue of Confederate Naval captain Charles Linn Sunday night

Upon finishing her instructions, she tweeted a ‘good riddance’ to racist-inspired monuments. ‘WATCH THAT SUMB*TCH TOPPLE GET THE %^&* OUT OF THE WAY IT WILL SMASH RUN AWAY FROM DIRECTION. Then celebrate. Because #BlackLivesMatter and good riddance to any obelisks pretending to be ancient Egyptian obelisks when they are in fact celebrating racism and white nationalism.  

She asked that no actual Egyptian obelisks be toppled. ‘OK because this is Twitter I need to clarify: PLEASE DO NOT PULL DOWN ACTUAL ANCIENT EGYPTIAN OBELISKS that was not the point of this thread,’ she explained in another tweet.

She then posted a schematic showing exactly how to bring down an obelisk, and made a reference that there maybe one in downtown Birmingham. 

‘There might be one just like this in downtown Birmingham! What a coincidence. Can someone please show this thread to the folks there,’ she wrote. 

‘BUT OF COURSE THIS IS ALL ENTIRELY HYPOTHETICAL,’ she added.   

Parcak even posted a schematic showing exactly how to bring down an obelisk, and made a reference that there maybe one in downtown Birmingham

Parcak even posted a schematic showing exactly how to bring down an obelisk, and made a reference that there maybe one in downtown Birmingham

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk