RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The country's largest Confederate statue, and the last one standing on Richmond's Monument Avenue, was removed this morning. The Robert E. Lee statue weighs more than 12 tons and was lifted off its granite pedestal in full. It will now be deconstructed in order to transport the pieces.
The 40-foot pedestal will remain in place for now, with its final destination to be determined by a community-driven event to re-imagine Monument Avenue.
8News reporters were on the scene are provided updates throughout the morning.
12:25 P.M.
Hundreds of people gathered in the area around the Lee monument to watch the statue's removal. Cheers were heard throughout the crowd when the statue was lifted off its pedestal.
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney shared his reaction in a video on Twitter with the tweet, "A long time coming." In the video, he counts down to the removal and cheers along with the crowd.
A long time coming. pic.twitter.com/CF9ayfgnN2
— Mayor Levar M. Stoney (@LevarStoney) September 8, 2021
11:25 A.M.
Work continues on the massive Robert E. Lee statue after it was removed from its pedestal earlier today. The torso has been wrapped and loaded onto a truck ready for transport. Work crews are placing straps around the rest of the statue in what looks like preparations to remove the base in one piece.
10:50 A.M.
The Robert E. Lee statue is being deconstructed. Since the statue was removed from the pedestal, crews have been working on the torso area and ultimately separated the bust of the statue. Once dismantled, the pieces will be transported to another location.
8news reported yesterday that the statue pieces are temporarily being taken to Goochland County, according to a source with direct knowledge of the plans.
10:30 A.M.
Tensions are high this morning for some people following the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue. 8News reporters on the scene witnessed two men arguing about the meaning of the statue and others trying to jump the fence. One man was successful.
Police have told the crowd that if they don't want to get arrested, they need to step back.
A fence around the Lee circle has been in place for months, but fences blocking nearby streets and keeping the crowd further back and away from the grassy area around the monument were put in place last night.
10:20 A.M.
Shortly after 9 a.m., right after the Lee statue came down, a man carrying a Black Lives Matter flag jumped the fence around the monument and ran around the area.
#NOW: A man carrying a “Black Lives Matter” flag hopped the fence & took off around the Lee circle. This happened moments after the statue was hoisted off its pedestal. @8NEWS Watch: pic.twitter.com/MmbOTOS99S
— Autumn Childress (@achildresstv) September 8, 2021
9:40 A.M.
Roads around the Lee monument have been closed since Tuesday and will remain closed through Saturday. Street signs in the area indicate where parking is temporarily not permitted. A number of tow trucks have been seen in the area this morning as Richmond police and others patrol the area.
Reporter Kerri O'Brien saw cars being ticketed and towed and counted six tow tricks in a two-block radius.
RICHMOND: Park Avenue is littered with tow trucks. I’ve never seen this many in one spot. pic.twitter.com/LqXstmbmhY
— Tyler Thrasher (@TylerJThrasher) September 8, 2021
9:15 A.M.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring made remarks following the statue's removal.
Gov. Northam said this has been a long time coming and is important for Virginia's healing. Northam thanked Virginians for doing the right thing after 402 years of history.
"With the removal of this grandiose monument to a past that no longer represents who we are as a Commonwealth, we can turn the page to a new chapter," AG Herring told reporters.
8:55 A.M.
A crowd that had gathered to see the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue cheered as it was lifted off its pedestal.
The removal happened quickly after crew members were working for about an hour to saw the statue off its pedestal and secure it with rope. The Lee statue was on its way to the ground within seconds while the crowd sang, “Na na na na, hey hey, hey, goodbye.”
8:30 A.M.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and First Lady of Virginia Pam Northam have arrived at the Robert E. Lee Monument to watch the removal process.
Gov. Northam announced his intentions to have the statue removed in the summer of 2020 — 10 days after George Floyd’s death under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer sparked protests over police brutality and racism in cities across the country, including Richmond.
Attorney General Mark Herring will also be attending the statue's removal. After Gov. Northam ordered the removal of the state-owned statue, Herring defeated every legal challenge that attempted to keep the statue towering over Monument Avenue.
8 A.M.
Crews have arrived at the Lee Monument and they are starting to strap the statue. The Lee Monument weighs 12 tons.
Crew workers wrapped rope around the entire base of the statue. The crane will be used to hoist the statue off its pedestal.
7 A.M.
The public viewing area just east of the monument opened up at 8 a.m. on a first-come, first-serve basis.
8News checked in with Richmond Police this morning and they said that as of now there are no security concerns. But, they aren't taking any chances -- fencing lines have been installed around Monument Avenue ahead of the event.
State, Capitol and Richmond Police are coordinating security and there are some street closures and parking restrictions that remain in effect until Saturday night.
Here's a look at Monument Avenue ahead of the removal of the Lee statue.
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