Campaign begins in Huntsville to remove Confederate monument

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Madison County Courthouse_Huntsville Confederate Monument

The weekend’s events — where violence broke out in Charlottesville, Va. during a demonstration by white nationalists and neo-Nazi groups opposed to the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee — has prompted a national conversation on whether symbols of the Confederacy should be removed, and many monuments and statues have started to come down across the country.

One of those monuments in question — the Confederate monument on the Madison County courthouse grounds in Huntsville, Ala.

There, a local group is fighting for its removal.

“This monument is in the center of downtown Huntsville, a forward-looking city with important ties to the federal government and two African-American colleges. Huntsville is proud to have been the first city in Alabama to integrate public schools and facilities. It’s completely unacceptable to honor ‘the principles which gave birth to the Confederate cause’ at the seat of our local government,” the Tennessee Valley Progressive Alliance (TVPA) wrote on their GoFundMe page where they’re working to raise funds in order to pay the $25,000 fine the state has set for those who violate the Memorial Preservation Act.

The law, signed by Gov. Kay Ivey earlier this year, prevents the removal of historic statues more than 40 years old from public spaces. Under it , Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has the authority to fine the city $25,000 for each violation. Huntsville would be in violation of said law if the city removed the monument without Legislature approval.

“Here is a small, concrete action you can take to join the fight against white supremacy right here in Madison County, AL,” TVPA wrote on their Facebook page linking to the GoFundMe campaign.

At the time of publishing, they have raid $1,310 of their $2,000 goal.

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