On Dec 19, 2015 New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu appeared before the City Council to encourage them to approve his plan to remove four monuments he claimed were a nuisance with $170,000.00 of funds pledged from an anonymous donor.
Landrieu suggested the monuments be stored in a warehouse until an appropriate place could be found. He did not indicate that there was any park or museum available, nor funds available to bring the monuments out of storage.
The Council did not allow corresponding timeto an opposing representative, nor did they ask the City Attorney if the Mayor'srequest violated any Federal Laws.
Council Member Stacy Head, the lone vote opposingthe plan,madethree suggestions for amendments which failed for lack of a second.First was to add interpretative plaques to the monuments, second was to leave two standing, and third was to put the matter to a city-wide vote.
Recent surveys showed that approximately 80% prefer to keep the monuments standing.
Council Member Headasked the Mayor if he had additional Monuments he planned to suggest the council remove, to which the Mayor responded he did not know where the process was going to end.Indications arethe process could involve changing street names and the names of schools.
Within hours of the 6-1 vote, four non-profits committed to preserving Louisiana Landmarks and Monuments filed a lawsuit.
A group called "Take 'em Down NOLA" has begunadvocating for removal of Andrew Jackson Monument in theFrench Quarter Historic District andseveralothersinNew Orleans 250piece collection.
Future monuments suggested for removal includethe National Park named after thepirate Jean Lafitte. In January 2015, New Orleans celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans won byJackson andLafitte atLafitte National Park.
The New Orleans VieuxCarréCommission (VCC) which is assigned toprotect, preserve, and maintain the distinct architectural, historic character, and zoning integrity of the Vieux Carré was only asked to evaluate the Battle of Liberty Place Monument.
The Council did not suggest the matter be tabled untilthe VCC evaluates a master plan for monuments.
After the Mayor's opening remarks,thirty residents (fifteen from each side) were allowed to speak for two minutes each. Opposition comments startedthe impact on tourism from removing monuments, asNew Orleans currently has overnine million visitors annually, one-third of which indicate history as a reason to visit,and competes with other southern citiesfor travel dollars.
Anotherequated the remove of historical monuments to current destruction of monuments in the Middle East, stating there was no difference between a crane and dynamite.
A thirdreferenced George Orwell's novel "1984" in which theGovernment removes history to control citizens.
A member of the Monumental Task Force Committee suggested adding inscriptions to the monuments.
In 1974 and 1993 inscriptions were added to Liberty Monument. The 1974 inscription was added during the term of Mayor Moon Landrieu.
The 1993 inscription reads: "In honor of those American on both sides who died in the Battle of Liberty Place... A conflict of the past that should teach us lessons for the future." During the 1874 Battle of Liberty Place, eleven police officers died defending an African-American Lt. Governor C.C. Antoine and a Governor who had relocated from the North.
TheBattle was the resultof 5,000 locals taking on 3,500Police and Federal Troops. The localsfelt the Reconstruction Laws and Property-Tax increases being passed by theFederal Government wereharsh and causing bankruptcy. The rebellion in 1874 startedthe end of the Civil War Reconstruction Period.
