Thread: City prepares to remove Confederate monuments, despite lawsuit

New Orleans city officials are moving forward with preparations to relocate four monuments related to the Confederacy, despite a federal lawsuit aimed at blocking the removals.

James Karst, an editor and columnist for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, photographed a work crew Monday (Jan. 11) as they inspected the statue of Jefferson Davis in Mid-City. A spokesman for the city said the crew was measuring the statue in preparation for its removal, should the city prevail in the litigation.

Social media users have posted similar photos of work crews around other monuments in recent days.

Lawyers for the city scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court Thursday (Jan. 14) to defend the removal of monuments to Davis, Robert E. Lee, P.G.T. Beauregard and the Battle of Liberty Place. A quartet of plaintiffs, led by the Monumental Task Committee, sued to block the city immediately after the Dec. 17 decision by the City Council to declare the monuments nuisances and have them removed.

Along with the city, the federal Department of Transportation and the Regional Transit Authority, were named as defendants.

City prepares to remove Confederate monuments, despite lawsuit

Confederate monuments court hearing: Live Coverage

Preservationist groups will square off Thursday (Jan. 14) against government officials who want to remove four Confederate related monuments from New Orleans public spaces.

We are in U.S. District Court to cover the hearing live. Don't forget to refresh your browser for the latest updates.

Confederate monuments court hearing: Live Coverage

Contractor working on Confederate monuments project quits after death threats

A company hired to help New Orleans take down four Confederate monuments has walked away from the job after its employees received death threats and other businesses threatened to cancel their contracts, a city attorney said in court Thursday (Jan. 14).

Rebecca Dietz is defending the city in federal court against a lawsuit from groups that believe taking down the monuments is illegal. She mentioned at Thursday's hearing that a company hired for the job, H&O Investments of Baton Rouge, notified the city it would no longer be performing the work

Contractor working on Confederate monuments project quits after death threats