NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Newport News' City Council has voted to remove the city's Confederate monument.
The vote, which passed 6-1, came following public comments at Newport News' City Council meeting.
The ordinance would remove the monument, which currently stands off Old Courthouse Way. The statue has been covered by a tarp since June, preventing anyone from seeing it or defacing it. The mayor, police chief, and city manager made the decision after recent demonstrations that resulted in injuries and to protect the safety of the public.
The city manager recommends moving forward with the monument's removal, but city leaders were first required to listen to public input.
Following an hour of comments from citizens -- the majority who were in favor of the monument's removal -- the city council adopted the ordinance, with Councilwoman Patricia Woodbury the lone vote to keep the monument at its current location.
So what's next? With council voting to remove or relocate, the city now must, for a period of 30 days, "offer the monument for relocation and placement to any museum, historical society, government, or military battlefield."
Back in June, Councilman David Jenkins told 13News Now that it might not be until October until the monument is actually removed from its current location.
"I envy those cities that are able to [immediately remove monuments] right now but let’s make this for the best in Newport News," Jenkins said at the time. "Let this be an opportunity to have some difficult conversation and figure out what values are."