The Confederate monument in Hemming Park in Downtown Jacksonville was removed early Tuesday morning before sunrise.
Crews worked through the early morning hours to dismantle the monument and towed the statue away around 4:30 a.m.
Related: Curry Marches With Jags Players, Says All Confederate Monuments In Jax Coming Down
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said other Confederate statues in the city will be coming down as well.
The statue's removal came ahead of a peaceful protest Tuesday morning led by Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette and rapper Lil Duval. The mayor joined the march, saying, "Yesterday, there was a Confederate monument in the park. Today it's gone, and other others in this city will be removed as well."
WJCT News partner News4Jax reported reported Curry is having conversations with the Cultural Council about where the momuments will be placed.
The tall monument, topped by a Confederate infantryman, once stood as a memorial to soldiers from Florida who served in the Civil War.
The monument was erected in 1898 and donated to the State of Florida by Charles C. Hemming, who had served with the Jacksonville Light Infantry during the Civil War.
The Jacksonville City Council has had many discussions about what to do with the statue.
That’s because Confederate monuments and images of the Confederacy are reminders of slavery and oppression for many. Calls for their removal have grown again in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
This is a developing story.
Michelle Corum can be reached at mcorum@wjct.org, 904-358-6308 or on Twitter at @MCorumonME.
