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Confederate monument vandalized outside Alabama courthouse

This is one of the Confederate monuments that officials are removing from Alabama parks and other sites. (AP file photo)
This is one of the Confederate monuments that officials are removing from Alabama parks and other sites. (AP file photo)
Aug 5, 2020

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — A Confederate monument in Alabama that has been the subject of protests against racial injustice was discovered vandalized early Wednesday.

What appeared to be red paint was splattered all over the base of the rebel statue outside the Madison County Courthouse in Huntsville, news outlets reported. Sheriff’s officials said they were investigating.

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Erected in 1905 by a Confederate heritage group, the memorial was the subject of days of protests following the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody. An inscription on the base says the statue was dedicated to Confederate dead.

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City and county officials have passed resolutions to move the monument from the courthouse to a city cemetery, but nothing has been done. A state law passed in 2017 to protect Confederate memorials provides a $25,000 penalty for moving or altering such monuments.

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