The Washington Post reports that all the statues of Confederate political and military leaders were removed from the Capitol building in Richmond overnight.
Democratic House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn ordered the removal of a statue of General Robert E. Lee and seven busts of other Confederate leaders from the Old House Chamber, the site the Confederate Congress met after state seceded from the United States.
Workers with power tools, blow torches and bubble wrap removed the statues during the late Thursday night to early Friday morning hours.
“Virginia has a story to tell that extends far beyond glorifying the Confederacy and its participants,” Filler-Corn said in a statement emailed to the Post. “Now is the time to provide context to our Capitol to truly tell the Commonwealth’s whole history.”
Working with House Clerk Suzette Denslow, Filler-Corn contracted with a Pennsylvania company to remove the statuary. Denslow delivered a letter to Governor Ralph Northam on Thursday to advise him of the removal.