NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Two committees for the New Orleans City Council voted to recommend that the city remove four controversial monuments in the city.
The Human Relations and Historic District Landmark commissions are calling the Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, P.G.T. Beauregard and Battle of Liberty monuments nuisances.
The decisions followed hours of public debate on the issue. The video button above will show you many of the comments from concerned citizens on each side of the issue.
Both commission votes are just suggestions. The city council will have the final vote. Mayor Mitch Landrieu has already made it clear that he believes the monuments no longer have a place in New Orleans.
But neither commission could shed any light on where the monuments might go, should they be removed. Some of the commission members expressed concern over the uncertainty, although that didn’t affect the outcome of the votes. One of the city’s deputy mayors said that decision can be made at another time.