NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The rest of the 113-year-old Confederate monument in Norfolk is coming down this week in an effort to keep the public safe.
The City of Norfolk announced the move Monday night. Crews started work around 6 a.m. Tuesday.
The Confederate soldier at the top of the 80-foot-tall monument, Johnny Reb, was removed last week after a protester was seriously injured by a falling soldier statue in Portsmouth. The city said it was removed for safety reasons.
Despite the removal, protesters spray-painted the monument that evening after Johnny Reb was removed.
“The following morning it was evident from graffiti painted higher on the pillar that individuals were climbing onto the structure,” the city wrote in a news release Monday.
The monument was spray-painted both Thursday night and Friday.
Removal of the monument should take two to four days to finish.
The roads around the structure will be closed so the contractor can use large equipment.
On July 7, Norfolk will hold a public hearing to determine the ultimate relocation of the statue and monument. It will also observe the necessary 30-day period for further comment on the matter before making a final decision.
In the meantime, the public should stay in the cordoned-off areas of East Main Street, Commercial Place, and on nearby sidewalks.
