Richmond Protesters Cheer as They Tear Down Jefferson Davis Statue in Former Confederate Capital
DRIVING OLD DIXIE DOWN
Yet another monument to the Confederacy has fallen after cheering protesters in Richmond, Virginia, tore down a statue of the Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Demonstrators in the former capital of the Confederacy toppled the statue late Wednesday and footage from the scene showed protesters celebrating and dancing as it was towed away from the city’s famous Monument Avenue. Meanwhile, about 80 miles away in Portsmouth, protesters beheaded and then pulled down four statues from another Confederate monument. A protester in his thirties was reportedly hit in the head as part of the monument fell, causing him to lose consciousness. A witness told NBC affiliate WAVY: “It came and fully hit him in the head, and we could see that his skull was actually showing... He was convulsing on the ground.” The Portsmouth Police Department said a man suffered serious injuries and was hospitalized.