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Virginia governor to announce removal of Lee statue

Virginia governor to announce removal of Lee statue
Virginia governor to announce removal of Lee statue
Posted at 6:12 PM, Jun 03, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-03 18:12:47-04

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is expected to announce plans Thursday for the removal of an iconic statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from Richmond's prominent Monument Avenue.

A senior administration official told The Associated Press that the governor will direct the statue to be moved off its massive pedestal and put into storage while his administration seeks input on a new location.

The move comes amid turmoil across the nation and around the world over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a Minneapolis officer pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for several minutes, even after he stopped moving.