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