Decatur's Confederate Monument Removed Near Atlanta

DECATUR, GA — The Confederate monument in the Decatur square has been removed. People gathered Thursday night to watch construction crews remove the 30-foot obelisk .

DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Clarence Seeliger ordered last week that it should be taken down and put in storage, reported the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. In his ruling he called the monument a public nuisance and ordered it be removed by June 26.

The ruling came after a formal complaint filed by the city of Decatur.

"The Confederate obelisk has become an increasingly frequent target of graffiti and vandalism, a figurative lightning rod for friction among citizens, and a potential catastrophe that could happen at any time if individuals attempt to forcibly remove or destroy it," Seeliger said, reported CNN.

In other cities, people have argued that the statues represent this country’s history of slavery and are racist.

Christopher Columbus statues, among others, have been removed in other cities. One was thrown into a lake, according to CNN, another beheaded. In Jacksonville, Florida the mayor announced that all Confederate monuments citywide will be removed.

In Georgia, and nationwide, people have protested against racism and police brutality. Protests have been held daily with protesters demanding justice for Black people. The death of George Floyd who was killed May 25 while in custody of white police officers re-ignited the Black Lives Matter movement.