desymbol: Hurricane Laura Knocks Down A Confederate Statue

The South’s Defenders statue in Downtown Lake Charles, Louisiana was erected in 1915 to recognize local residents and those throughout the south who fought for the Confederacy.

But the death of George Floyd inspired many to reconsider Confederate monuments. In recent months, at least 59 of them have been removed and there were renewed calls to get rid of this one, too.

“The statues do not educate the nation; they glorify defenders of slavery,” a Change.org petition said. “These monuments do not teach about the horrors of the American Civil War, nor do they remind of us why the battles were fought. They simply cast a halo around those who died in a war that primarily sought to cement a place for slavery in our nation’s future, and they do so under the guise of honoring the dead.”

The activists who put up the petition said the monument brings no pride to Lake Charles, no financial support, it draws no tourism, and serves only to overlook the atrocities committed in the name of the Confederacy throughout history. “The monument stands for a history of oppression for a community that makes up about half of Lake Charles’ population, and it disgusts the allies who stand with them. Lake Charles is not represented by a bygone era of violence and slavery.”

But while some demanded authorities to remove and destroy the South’s Defenders Memorial Monument, others were content with it.

A special city council meeting was called in July to determine the statue’s fate. Before the meeting, parish administrator Bryan Beam said he’d received 945 written responses from the community, and 878 were against its removal while just 67 were in favor.

The council sided with the majority, voting 10 to 4 to keep the statue up.

Image credits: davantelewis

On Thursday morning, however, it appears as if a higher power intervened and made the final decision on the statue. Hurricane Laura touched down at 1 am and brought 150-mile-per hour gusts of wind – some of the strongest the region has ever experienced.

The hurricane knocked down the monument at the soldier’s ankles.

The South’s defender now lies on the ground, broken and motionless, much like so many Americans during the bloody war it represented.