Birmingham Mayor William Bell orders city to cover up Confederate monument

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Confederate Memorial in Linn Park

Less than a week after white nationalists rallied in Charlottesville, Va, in support of a monument to Robert E. Lee that ended in deadly violence, Birmingham city leaders moved to cover a Confederate monument that resides on the city’s public property.

Birmingham monument
The City of Birmingham has enclosed it’s Confederate monument in a plywood box. Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017

Mayor William Bell‘s decision to cover the monument in the downtown Linn Park. came quietly, without fanfare, as city workers installed a wooden structure Tuesday night just before 10 p.m.

Earlier this year, Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill into law preventing the removal of historic statues more than 40 years old from public spaces, making the removal of the confederate monument found in Birmingham’s Linn Park illegal.

Under the new law, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has the authority to fine the city $25,000 for each violation of the law.

Which prompted the creation of a GoFundMe account by a group called “People of Birmingham” with a goal of $25,000 they plan to use to pay the state’s fine.

Bell’s office says it’s looking at ways to challenge the state law restricting the Magic City’s authority to remove the monument, but in the meantime they plan to keep it covered.

2 COMMENTS

  1. So sad to see the Mayor of Birmingham raise his middle finger to the Governor of the State in clear show of defiance. Mr Mayor, you cannot re-write history thru use of a “cover up” no matter how ugly the history may have been. If statues and graven images can be deemed objectionable, I would offer there are a number of other statues and graven images on public property that can also be viewed as offensive. Public property is just that, public property. It is not yours to do as you see fit. The property and all that is placed on it belong to the people of the city and therefore, the state. What happened in VA is ugly and does NOT represent vast majority of Americans. However, those responsible for destroying public property are not above the law. Do we find George Washington’s picture on our currency so objectionable that we should refuse to carry it in our pocket? How about Mr Lincoln who was murdered. His image is in the change in your pocket. History cannot be obliterated or re-written to suit any of us. It is what it is. We need to understand it and learn from it so we do not make the same mistake in the future. Please, do not let the actions of a small group poison us all.

  2. Appears State Attorney General has been left with no alternative but to file suit against the Mayor of Birmingham. Mr Mayor, please remove the tarps and other objects preventing public display of a historical state monument and comply with state law. To continue your current path is a waste of money of the citizens of Birmingham. If you disagree with state law, get it changed. Don’t grandstand and stick your middle finger in the Alabama Attorney General and Governors eye. Did you really expect them to ignore law in this manner. Don’t like a law, get it changed. Roy Moore tried ignoring the rule of law, twice, and it cost him his Governmental position.

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