Timber

Protesters topple Confederate statue in North Carolina

Amid chants of “No KKK! No fascists! USA!,” protesters toppled a monument to the Confederacy in Durham, N.C. Monday night.

This video, posted to Twitter, shows the crowd pulling at the statue with a long rope:

Local CBS News affiliate WNCN reports that the monument was dedicated in Durham in 1924 and placed directly outside a government building.

The statue represented a Confederate soldier who fought in the Civil War and had “The Confederate States of America” inscribed on its front.

WNCN spoke to at least one protester who said the action was taken in response to the violent white supremacist rally that took place a few days ago in Charlottesville, Va.

“It needs to be removed,” organizer Loan Tran told the station. “These Confederate statues in Durham, in North Carolina, all across the country.”

The weekend rally attracted the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis, and other fringe rightwing organizations. While they focused on hatred of racial and religious minorities, they also found some time to hate LGBTQ people, screaming antigay slurs.

Before finally mentioning the hate groups by name, President Donald Trump previously condemned the violence that occurred “on many sides,” without addressing white supremacy.

Don't forget to share:

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated