TEXAS: The University of Texas at Austin removed the statues of three Confederate-era figures from a main area on campus on Monday, saying they had become symbols of white supremacy and that they were taken down overnight to avoid confrontations.
Violence broke out in Charlottesville, Virginia, on August 12 when white nationalists protesting against the planned removal of a statue of Confederate military leader Robert E Lee clashed with anti-racism demonstrators. One woman was killed when a suspected white nationalist drove his car into a crowd.
President Donald Trump’s reaction to the events has drawn widespread anger from across the political spectrum. Trump did not immediately condemn white nationalists and said there were “very fine people” on both sides, prompting several chief executives to quit his business councils in protest.
“Last week, the horrific displays of hatred at the University of Virginia and in Charlottesville shocked and saddened the nation,” University of Texas at Austin President Greg Fenves said in a statement.
“These events make it clear, now more than ever, that Confederate monuments have become symbols of modern white supremacy and neo-Nazism.”
Fenves announced the removal of the statues shortly before midnight on Sunday. — Reuters
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