Protesters Take Matters Into Their Own Hands In North Carolina
Angry over the deadly incidents in Virginia this past weekend, protesters in Durham, North Carolina decided to take down a statue of a Confederate soldier on Monday. According to multiple media reports, activists went to the trouble of bringing a ladder up to the statue and pulling it down with a rope. These actions seemed to be made in retaliation for the events that took place in Virginia over the weekend. It was during a white nationalist rally held in Charlottesville, Virginia on Saturday where one woman was killed after a man, who police believe was one of the white nationalists, drove his car into a group of peaceful counter-protesters.
Interestingly enough, at no point during the protest did the Durham Police Department or deputies with the Durham County Sheriff’s Office intervene as no one was arrested Monday. However, today, Durham County Sheriff Mike Andrews announced investigators are diligently working to identify the protesters and do indeed plan to bring criminal charges against them.
In a statement posted on his agency’s website, Andrews stated “We decided that restraint and public safety would be our priority,” before adding, “As the Sheriff, I am not blind to the offensive conduct of some demonstrators nor will I ignore their criminal conduct.”
The Sheriff is clearly in a tough spot as he has to strike a balance between respecting the constitutional rights of the protesters while, at the same time, acknowledging that their conduct was that of a criminal nature.
The Confederate Soldiers Monument in Durham, which shows a soldier holding a rifle, was dedicated in 1924. After it was brought down, a diverse crowd cheered, and some even began kicking the toppled bronze monument. One man was even seen spitting on it. Other people further desecrated the statue by taking pictures while sitting and standing on the downed bronze soldier.
The Durham Police Department issued a statement on Monday stating that the officers who monitored the protests wanted to “ensure the protests were conducted in a safe manner and that no infractions occurred within city jurisdiction.”
Although the violence in Virginia has reignited talk by government officials about bringing down symbols of the Confederacy around the South, the state of North Carolina does have a law protecting the statues. The law, which was implemented in 2015, prevents removing such monuments on public property without permission from state officials.
Responding to the statue in Durham being torn down, Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper took to social media to express his opinion.
The racism and deadly violence in Charlottesville is unacceptable but there is a better way to remove these monuments #durham – RC
— Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) August 15, 2017
In his statement earlier today, Andrews said he wants both city and county officials to establish guidelines and safe spaces for protesters to “prevent demonstrations from becoming disruptive and as we witnessed in Charlottesville, dangerous.”
“My Agency has been the focus of demonstrations for more than a year, most of them peaceful,” Andrews added.
“However, now may be the time for Durham to consider what is the best way to respond to continued protests while respecting every resident’s right to voice their opinion.”
[Featured Image by Jonathan Drew/AP Images]
