There has been renewed talk by residents and city officials about whether to rename Atlanta streets like Confederate Avenue following the tragic events in Charlottesville, Virginia.
But, as evidenced by the editing of multiple signs bearing the name in Grant Park, not everyone was willing to wait until an official decision is made.
A seven-member advisory committee will help Mayor Kasim Reed decide what to do about Atlanta's "Confederate-themed" statues and street names.
A mayoral candidate, Peter Aman, said he'll rename Confederate Avenue if he's elected. And former Gov. Roy Barnes said Georgia State Patrol being located on Confederate Avenue sends the wrong message and should be changed.
Thousands of others — more than 8,500 of them — made their thoughts known by signing a petition calling for the street "named after racist secessionists" to become something different.
Meanwhile at the Ormewood intersection, one side of the sign was edited. The “fe” in Confederate was covered by material containing the letters “si,” so drivers heading west might have thought they were on Considerate Avenue.
A few blocks down the road, part of the sign that intersects Confederate and Boulevard avenues met the nozzle-end of a spray paint can. Dark graffiti covered the white letters on its southbound side early Wednesday.
The Atlanta Police Department wasn’t aware of reports about the signs prior to an inquiry from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday, but said it was checking the Confederate Avenue corridor and noting any vandalism in a police report.
APD will “follow any investigative leads and take action if and when appropriate,” a spokeswoman.
By Wednesday evening, a city of Atlanta spokeswoman said the spray-painted sign had been removed and will be replaced by Monday. Multiple signs were repaired by removing stickers from the street names, she said.
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