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Crews Begin Removing Confederate Monument In Downtown Pensacola
October 27, 2020
Monday, crews began to remove the Confederate monument in downtown Pensacola.
The Pensacola City Council voted in July to remove the 129-year old monument. The council also voted to revert the name Lee Square back to its original name of Florida Square. Old maps show Florida Square was the original name of the parcel on North Palafox Street one block south of East Cervantes.
The soldier statue on top of the monument was lowered to a truck on Monday. It and the remainder of the monument will be taken to the Port of Pensacola for storage until a museum or some other group takes possession.
The contractor has 30 days for removal of the monument, but work is expected to wrap up this week, weather permitting..
In September, A lawsuit to stop the removal was tossed by a federal judge. U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers found the lawsuit seeking to stop the removal lacked legal standing. The lawsuit was filed by The Ladies Memorial Association, the Stephen Mallory Camp 1315 Sons of Confederate Veterans, Veterans Monuments of America and Save Our Southern Heritage Florida Chapter.
NorthEscambia.com photos.
Comments
59 Responses to “Crews Begin Removing Confederate Monument In Downtown Pensacola”
@Proud Of My Southern Heritage
You have a very loose interpretation of what a hate crime is.
Racists gonna turn snowflake when the monuments to their racism are torn down.
Find something real to cry about.
Or maybe you are illiterate- the parcel was originally “Florida Square” , in 1889 liberal democrats and the Chipley family that donated the stone changed the name to reflect their personal opinions… But, yeah, let’s keep pretending this is about history…..
Removing this statue and renaming Lee Square to Florida Square is a hate crime!!
We learn from history, next the library, remove all books that talk about slavery. Same thing happened in Germany, anybody remember WW2. When the minority rules this is what you get, especially with leaders who bend to their wants and wishes. This has happened all over the United States. If something offends someone they have it removed. Guess what abortion offends me, think the left will stop it..NO WAY. This is a product of the Democratic Party, the party that thinks it is ok to abort a Baby that has just been born. Today this Democrat party is running a man with the early stages of dementia as their best man for the job!!!
It offends me that this was removed. This statue was to honor all that died.There were a lot of blacks who were not slaves that fought and died in the war. Our leaders have caved in to the movement that wants to erase our nations history be it good or bad. I am saddened that future generations won’t even know how America came to be. Our founding fathers must be turning over in their graves.
with all the problems the city is having ; debris everywhere form the hurricane, people out of work and needing food and home repairs and THEY decide to spend a ton of money o this issue???? really??? its time to get rid of the people in charge of this WASTEFUL spending. you can take down ALL the statues you want; IT DOESN’T CHANGE A THING.
@Bewildered
You’re totally right, it would be completely acceptable today. I mean, just look at Trump having his lawyer pay off a porn star to keep their affair quiet while Melania quietly plays along. Or having a Playboy model sign a non-disclosure agreement and take a payout to keep quiet about her affair with him. Or the non-disclosure agreement he had his ex-wife sign during their divorce to keep quiet about his abuse towards her. I mean, it’s totally acceptable behavior now!
The only difference being that Trump is an unapologetic white nationalist that thinks hate groups have some “very fine people,” and has done nothing to improve race relations in our country.
I can see both sides to this argument, but why only remove certain statues and monuments and not all of them if the thinking is “because it reminds people of slavery”??
Are we to remove statues of slave owning presidents as well? Where does the line get drawn?
Why is there still a BLM banner painted on a public street in downtown, when it is proven to be biased political propaganda?
What would this city’s leadership say if we painted a Blue Lives Matter banner right next to it? What about All Lives Matter?
The hypocrisy of the left is appalling, and needs to be addressed. If you are going to be removing statues, renaming streets, renaming schools, etc, then it should be done equally across all viewpoints and not just to please one group!
It feels like it is not mine to move.
@bewildered
As others have mentioned there is a difference between what is basically a museum for education purposes so that we don’t repeat our stupidity and what is a glorified tribute. I’m willing to bet that any plaques at those concentration camp museums don’t paint the nazis in a good light unlike the confederate statues.
Womanizer statue – too funny! Times have changed – back then MLK’s entourage scrambled constantly to wipe his tainted image squeaky clean and Coretta played along. Nowadays it would be considered acceptable behavior.
Straight Shooter maybe you should read a book like “pencil” recommended then you may not hate so much. Could even be one of those “original” history books like someone suggested earlier. Whatever an “original” history book is.
If you do not believe the civil war was about slavery you read,( or more probably were told because you did not read) the wrong books. All Confederate soldiers, Officers, and particularly Generals were traitors to this great Country. They were seditionist plain and simple. Jefferson Davis was the lead traitor. That is the history. Facts are stubborn things. Why anyone would want statutes to these people is beyond me. Losers and traitors generally do not get statutes regardless of the “history”.
Pencil,
This only increases my “hate”. It will do nothing to solve problems.
Not that this is any business of north escambia residents whom don’t pay city taxes. They visit and spend money and pay sales tax just like undocumented immigrants and have no say just the same.. History and facts are that the parcel was originally Florida Square, liberal Democrats and the Chipley family that donated the monument are responsible for changing history in 1889…
The truth. The civil war was not fought over slavery. Look it up in original history books. It was started over the oppression of the north on the south for goods. If it was over slavery Abraham Lincoln would have issued his Emancipation proclamation at the start of the war. The memorials aren’t necessarily a tribute. It’s a reminder of what happened and the lives lost. If you say that they should be removed then we should remove all memorials to all wars. It doesn’t make sense. But let’s erase all history so we can keep repeating it.
I have to honestly say I am no longer proud to be an American also depending the outcome of the election I might not ever pledge Allegiance to the flag anymore it’s a shame what this country is all about .
What a surprise that the top minds of Escambia county have a problem with this.
Ohhhhhh why don’t you just get over it already.
wars offend me….I want all the Forts in the area CLOSED.
we need leaders to lead by their THINKING not their FEELINGS….
The good thing about this is it helped put food on my table and pay my rent…I wonder what the city wasted on this boondoggle….Those who wanted it down should have raised the funds just like the funds were private to build it. Instead the city will waster %300,000 on this BULL all to pander, SAD
@fisherman,
I can answer that for u.. NOTHING.! The sorry, spineless so called leaders of Pensacola would do nothing about that.. No matter how many of us complained. Js
History comes with good and bad qualities, we learn from it. We can not erase it nor change by removing a concrete statue. In one post someone mentioned some
did not like “ slavery” reminders.How does the new “ slavery” museum in Montgomery,AL play into that? It seems that is a big reminder. Continual verbalization about offensive statues, The South, The Civil War etc are reminders as well. Does removing statues erase the reminders? Some scream equality if that’s true take down “ All” statues not just certain ones,as well as renaming streets and roads, that some may find offensive to their current names.
History will continue, good and bad.
The current population ensures controversial topics that will be offensive to someone. At what point do the offended feelings end? There are men who owned slaves gracing the cover of several monetary denominations, are those not offensive? Slavery was a horrible part of history but it will never be erased and taking down monuments or other memorabilia does not make it quicker or easier to forget, it keeps it in the forefront which contradicts the purpose.
never thought i would see the day they would take my statues down. they repthe british called us traitors also.resent my heritage and i don’t care what some liberal, carpet bagging yankee thinks. proud of those men that fought for southern independence. judging by what i see going on now days i am certain the wrong side lost.
Concentration camp sites that are preserved as museums are not monuments to the Nazis. They are monuments to the survivors of the Nazi regime.
If you’re asking, “What’s next? Take down the statue of Deluna?! He was a conquering oppressor too!”
Yes. Take it down.
Removing monuments to slavers and oppressors does not erase them from history, but serves to end glorification of the barbarous and antiquated ideas associated to them. Want to learn about the Civil War? I can point you to a whole section in the library devoted to it. Want to shower praise on a monument to the Confederacy? Take it somewhere else.
@A Patriot
I cannot judge by your comment as to what country you are a patriot of. It definitely isn’t America. It boggles my mind that in this day and age, someone can still think, “Yeah, slavery, what a great idea!”
Good. Relics like these belong in museums for the public to view for educational purposes.
It doesn’t belong as a landmark for reverence and celebratory purposes.
The money spent on removing the statue could have been better used to fill pot holes.
My sister had the opportunity to walk through a Nazi prison camp in Germany that had been preserved and open to the public. She said it was one of the most emotional things she ever experienced. She said they kept it preserved so people would never forget and hopefully never repeat that horrible time in history
Now is the time to also remove Womanizer Statues.
@Robinhood
I don’t think you understand the difference between Capitalism and Communism…
Awesome job Pensacola! Those monuments were part of a legacy of hate and oppression. The confederacy LOST but tried to hold on to the memories of that defeat by rewriting history and glorifying the very values that led to the war to begin with.
If those so beholden to the existence of the monuments can’t remember the history behind them without seeing them, they likely never knew it to begin with . . . . try reading a book instead!
All of this is due to the fact OUR the Peoples schools have taken CIVICS, Americanisum vs Communisium AND most importantly the American History out of the curriculum they teach our children today. Also, The do not tell and purposely leaves out how their forefathers fought to provide what all we enjoy today. Not aware when the District decided to remove those very important lessons out of the curriculum BUT it is and was a BIG MISTAKE and needs to be implemented back into schools,
If not, Citizens who do not believe in Communistic ways and thinking should not have to pay property taxes that are paid to tax collector who in turns provides money/support to our school districts and schools who teaches the LIES to our children and Grand Children about capitalist vs communistic government. We all should be up in arms for our tax dollars supporting the school district and schools BRAIN WASHING our children into believing communistic government is the better way than capitalistic government. IF the DUMBOCRAPS including AOC and her dumbass gang of three others who do not know our history or our ways of life and does not like the FREEDOMS they enjoy here in America then they all should pack up and move to their Country of choice like Cuba or Russia.
I don’t care about this statue but I do care about the mischaracterization of the Civil War as a battle between good and evil. The typical Union soldier cared no more about blacks than the Confederates. Most northerners who opposed slavery didn’t care at all about racial justice. For the most part they didn’t want black people in America for any reason whatsoever. The real reason a northern contingent opposed slavery was because they were concerned about a concentration of wealth in the south. The idea that there was a moral imperative that drove the north is complete revisionism.
Germany does have the concentration camps preserved – Taylon – fly overthere and you can walk thru them all ! CIVILIZED countries preserve their historic sites – we don’t – I rest my case.
Meant descendants.
So all on here that supports keeping the statue; how do you think black people feel about seeing those slavery era leader statues? I’m white and quite frankly they should be in a museum. Far as Dr Kings statue it represents equal rights. And all you that claim you are defendants of slavery era confederate generals are so far out in left field it’s unbelievable. What would be to them ? Some great great great great great great great great great great grandkid???????? Get for real.
If there is ever a petition passed around to remove the hideous looking bust located downtown, I’ll be more than happy to sign it. After all, it was just a small number of people that wanted the Lee statue removed.
I love the south, but it is an undeniable fact that every last soldier who fought under the Stars and Bars was guilty of treason against their country. That’s just a fact. There aren’t any statues of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg (Google them).
Welcome to Pensacola Florida . Snow flake capitol of the south !
I agree that these politicans need to be voted out of office asap. If they can be recalled that needs to happen now. Enough signatures of registered voters would work. These are stupid people that got elected to office. Let’s remove MLK street names and any statues of him as well. But as was already said the ones in office don’t have the intelligence or backbone to do anything like that.
According to Public Law 85-425- May23 1958, “”SEC. 410. The Administrator shall pay to each person who served in the military or naval forces of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War a monthly pension in the same amounts and subject to the same conditions as would have been applicable to such person under the laws in effect on December 31, 1957, if his service in such forces had been service in the military or naval service of the United States.” Effective date. SEO, 2. This Act shall be effective from the first day of the second calendar month following its enactment. Approved May 28, 1958. ”
This was done by congress as an act to help heal the wound that was left by the Civil War. This allowed the Southern States to honor their men who fought to defend the C.S.A. from the Northern invader. But now it appears that some want to reopen an old wound that has been healed for nearly sixty years. Yes sixty years not 155. The War had been over for more than 90 years in 1958 but we were still a nation partially divided. This act was to help heal a nation but some are still fighting a War that ended 155 years ago, and all in the name of politics.
And please don’t tell me this War was fought over slavery because it wasn’t. The North did not invade the South to free the slaves the War actually started, April 12, 1861, over the fact that Fort Sumter, in South Carolina, was being held by Union forces inside the C.S.A. territory. Technically the War started over States rights to secede from the Union. The Emancipation Proclamation wasn’t until January 1 1863, almost 2 years later and it only affected the slaves in the dissenting states, Slaves held in the Northern States were not freed by the Proclamation. Don’t believe me, look it up. But you better look it up quick I hear they are wanting to change the wording to include the Northern States.
Then they need to keep going… take the MLK jr ones down as well. They are also a reminder of slavery.
Or maybe put all the status back up and tell the people that want then down that they are part of history, good or bad and they are not going to be messed with. History is just that, it cant be changed or reworded so others arent offended… get the hell over it, learn from it and move on.
Glad that it’s down. As our president would say, “Lee was a loser and losers shouldn’t have statues.”
The statue should be still displayed but on private property. That way people can go see it if they want to . I’m white and believe this. So I don’t think it’s fair for society to keep something that represents a time of dark history on display on Government Property . Especially when we know what was done to the black race in that time period. So if it’s on private land all who wants to see it can go see it. And to all on here who says take down Martin Luther King statues need to know that his remembrance was to gain equal stature for black people. His statue don’t represent the vile things that those other statues have tied to them.
The city of Pensacola made a HUGE mistake in removing the statue under legal review just BEFORE noted local historian John Appleyard’s memorial service. Our great history as the City Of Five Flags is being effectively changed by politically-motivated Mayor and Council Members. They caved to temporary trouble-makers however damage is done. Although we do not vote in Pensacola elections – we CAN elect not to shop – eat – attend concerts or ballgames etc., to bring downtown dollars. Leadership was thoughtless as Pensacola touts its place in oldest city history with change to City of FOUR Flags.
We people need to take notes of the people that pushed for removal and the people in government that allowed it to be removed. I won’t vote for anyone to weak to stop the removal and I will Pray that they don’t stay in office. Poor decision as far as I’m concern
@Sue Byrd
I gree. lets take down all the “MLK”, BLM, SLAVERY reminders also!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t understand people that just get super upset about this. Should Germany have kept the Berlin wall up, or any Nazi stuff up because “it’s history”? Should the Saddam statues in Iraq stayed up because “it’s history”. Should KKK crap be allowed everywhere because “it’s history” (well I guess this is a bad example because there are probably plenty of people upset about the statues that are okay with this one)?
The Civil War will still be taught in schools (as are some of the things I mentioned above), but does the losing side have to be displayed everywhere around the south?
I’m white, I’m educated, I’m old, I was raised in the south, and I just don’t get it so please explain it to me. Maybe my parents should have raise me differently?
Also, don’t try and use MLK as an opposite debate point. At no point was he trying to repress people. If you think trying to make everyone equal is the same as what the confederates represent then there’s no point having a discussion because you’re closed minded and won’t be swayed by anything (ie. it’s your way or no way).
Why did “We” ever let this start? The Civil Rights Act was a total disaster as it opened the door for all sorts of nonsense like this. Let’s see a Historical White College try to get federal funding! Those brave southern soldiers were only trying to protect a way of life and deserve to be memorialized for all of eternity! All one has to do is read Ephesians 6:5-8 Paul states, “Slaves, be obedient to your human masters with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ” to know we were on the right side!
Pensacola, your Mayor has to go. Start with him and keep going until they are all out.
All it takes is one person to cause all this to happen. What we need is leaders to have a pair and stop catering to these people. I had nothing to do with what happened over 100 years ago. I wonder if I and a group of individuals complained and wanted Doctor Martin Luther Kings bust statue removed what would the Pensacola City Council do.
In the BIBLE you will find this passage “It is wise to know your past, for if not you are sure to repeat it”.
GOD BLESS THE USA
History is history, it doesn’t belong to any one group . If someone doesn’t like it ,than the more the better. I say this with backs in mind. The city of 5 flags is a city rich in history. Some of that history wasn’t our finest as a people,but history none the less. When blacks attempt to pass on history to their young ,it will now be like empty words with no reminder to attest to those words.See son, this is a reminder of what our people once endured. I personally believe now is the time to take up arms over principle .IF the monument offends you, it is your responsibility as a parent to ensure your children go by and understand what it means and let it serve as a reminder, so he can also show his children. This will ensure we don’t repeat history. You don’t have to agree with history to understand the importance of protecting it . If Blacks as a whole were smart , they themselves would demand it stands as Proof to generations to come. There are millions who do not believe the Holocaust occurred. Let blacks continue to see themselves as separate From their white brothers, and see where that gets us as AMERICANS. I will be against ANY BLACK or WHITE that supports this -perversion of OUR HX, NOT BLACK or WHITE HX,BUT OUR HX.
when “we the people” have had enough of this, and make your socio-political lives a priority,..instead of “roll tide roll”, or “war eagle”, or “go gators”, or whatever, then it may be corrected, then it may be set right again. If “we the people” would put the same vigor, passion ,and tenacity into their socio-political lives as they do sports, we, as a nation would not have this problem and would understand the importance of history and how not to repeat it,…instead we worry about these useless entities , while disregarding the very things that affect our communities, states, and livelihoods…
Imagine…what the world would be like if we did away with everything that allegedly offended some one or group.
Imagine the leadership that let’s it take place
Are we going to burn all books that have pics also..and words relating to the civil war?
By taking down this statue of bronze and morter, it’s the same as book burning.
So when everything is burned, what did you accomplish?
You showed your ignorance and those who pandered to it.
An inanimate object ….
Really…civilized?
No to both sides
You cant debate stupidity
Mayor has no backbone to say no! City Counsel members should be fired. But removing MLK Statute’s, street names, Mayor still cowards down.
what a shame whats next may martin luther not sure abt him being a king
A disaster for Pensacola. The monument was art if nothing else; never mind the hurtful actions of the council which grieves the hearts of the majority Of Pensacola and those of Confederate descent. A small group of people make one issue paramount among all others ; welcome to Marxism and the subverting of democratic choice by sell out politicians and the mob rule they cater to. The council could have had a referendum and allowed the people to decide but that was stolen from the population. These politicians deserve to be voted out.
Makes us wonder, just what type of “History” is important to these Radical Leftist who have a drive to remove all statues and symbols of US Historical events?
Spanish invaders pillaged, murdered and made slaves of unknown numbers of South Amerians and yet the City of Pensacola is constantly looking for another person needing a statue erected.
Sad and heartbrreaking to see the removal of the Confederate Soldier in Lee Square. Wondering what the “hidden agendas” have in mind for that area?
To us it will forever be Lee Square and a place that once held an Honorable Monument.
When do we say, Enough is Enough?