A Monumental Debate

Four monuments dedicated to Civil War figures and a Reconstruction era event are slated to be removed from public property in the City of New Orleans. While one monument has been dismantled and placed in storage, the three remaining have become the focus of increasingly intense and sometimes violent protests. On this particular Sunday, opposing sides faced off at Lee Circle. On one hand, pro-monument supporters site that these statues represent history and heritage, while those against the monuments say the only history and heritage they support are ones of hate. With dozens of pro-monument supporters "guarding" the General's monument, hundreds of marchers descended on the circle to celebrate the city's decision to remove them. As tempers flared, these images were captured.