RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – A state commission said a 2015 state law leaves them unable to recommend moving Confederate monuments from the capitol grounds.
Gov. Roy Cooper (D) had previously asked to move them to a battlefield in Johnston County.
Wednesday’s meeting of the state Historical Commission came less than 48 hours after protesters brought down the Silent Sam statue on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill.
The monuments commission voted following a discussion where commission members differed on whether or not the monuments should be moved.
The monuments commission did say signs should be added to the monuments to give additional context.
The state historical commission accepted that vote.
Dr. Chris Fonvielle said based on responses in a public comment online forum and in person to the committee, most people in the state are not in favor of relocating monuments.
He went on to say he was “dismayed” by the statue toppling in Durham last year and in Chapel Hill Monday.
“Violence never brings permanent peace,” Fonvielle said.
Another member of the commission, Samuel Dixon, pointed to the 2015 state law that would prohibit the monument’s from being moved.
“We have a 2015 law that basically says we can’t move the monuments,” Dixon said.
He recommended adding context to monuments and said “Slavery was the cause of the Civil War.”
The 2015 law allows for an “object of remembrance” to be moved or removed in two circumstances: when necessary for preservation or “when necessary for construction, renovation, or reconfiguration of buildings, open spaces, parking, or transportation projects.”
The law says if a qualifying monument moves, it has to go to “a site of similar prominence, honor, visibility, availability and access…” The monument can’t go to a museum, cemetery or mausoleum unless that’s where it was originally.
Commission member Noah Reynolds called for the monuments to be moved.
Dr. Valerie Johnson said the monuments represent “a commitment of North Carolina to uphold the Confederacy.”
Johnson said moving the statues doesn’t “hide history” and said “movement is not erasure.”
There were several police officers around the monuments Wednesday in anticipation of today’s decision.
One woman was arrested near the monuments and taken away by police. It’s not clear why she was taken into custody.
The North Carolina Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans is already preparing for a legal battle if the commission supports moving the monuments.
“Why should we spend, no telling how many thousands of dollars, to move a monument to a place where ignorant people won’t be offended by having to see it?” asked Bill Starnes, the group’s education officer.
When Cooper recommended the statues be moved, he suggested that be done so that “they can be studied in context.”
He recommended they move to the Bentonville Battlefield in Four Oaks, the site of a Civil War battle in 1865.
Click here to read the Commission’s resolution
Republican Senate leader Phil Berger wrote to him soon after, saying the commission doesn’t have the authority to move the monuments, citing a law the legislature passed in 2015.
“This selective outrage is one of the reasons your push to keep monuments in the headlines seems to be more political theater than principled stand,” he wrote. “It smacks of insincerity.”
Cooper released a statement Wednesday afternoon addressing the commission’s decision:
It is time for North Carolina to realize that we can document and learn from our history without idolizing painful symbols. The General Assembly needs to change its 2015 law so our state and its people have a better path to remove or relocate these monuments safely, and I urge those who object to the monuments to call on their legislators to change the law and support legislative candidates who want to move our state forward.”
The actions that toppled Silent Sam bear witness to the strong feelings many North Carolinians have about Confederate monuments. I don’t agree with or condone the way that monument came down, but protesters concluded that their leaders would not – could not—act on the frustration and pain it caused. I acknowledge, too, those who believe these monuments should stay as they are because they symbolize our history. But they are just one part of our history. North Carolina is welcoming to all, and our most prominent public places should reflect that.”
Berger also released a statement praising the commission:
I appreciate that this committee followed the law and listened to the overwhelming majority of public comments from North Carolinians saying monuments on the state Capitol Grounds are part of our state’s history and should remain where they are. I also agree with the committee that there’s more of the story that should be told, and that men and women shamefully held in bondage for generations helped build our state, and that deserves a monument.
I support the committee’s recommendations and pledge to work with my colleagues to implement them. The thoughtful and deliberative process stands in stark contrast to the mob rule from earlier this week. When people with different perspectives come together in good faith, we can solve problems.”
A 35-year-old woman was led from the meeting in handcuffs by members of the State Capitol Police.
Ashley M. Popio, of Raleigh, was cited for intentionally causing a public disturbance, and willfully and unlawfully obstructing a police officer in discharging a duty of his office.