BALTIMORE, MD (WMAL) — Baltimore City Councilman Brandon Scott is formally calling for all four of Baltimore’s Confederate-era monuments to be torn down, according to a report by the Baltimore Sun (http://bsun.md/2vwSDqG).
In a resolution being introduced Monday, Scott calls for “the immediate destruction of all Confederate Monuments in Baltimore.”
Scott cites the neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville over the weekend that left three dead as motivation for introducing the legislation.
“Monuments with ties to the dark side of America’s past have come under increased scrutiny in recent years with cities across the country debating on whether they should be removed,” Scott wrote.
“Following the acts of domestic terrorism carried out by white supremacist terrorist groups in Charlottesville, Virginia this past weekend cities must act decisively and immediately by removing these monuments. Baltimore has had more than enough time to think on the issue it’s time to act.”
A spokesman for Mayor Catherine Pugh told the Sun Sunday the mayor is currently in communication with other mayors in deciding how to handle Confederate monuments in their cities.
“She wants to do what serves the best interests of the citizens of Baltimore,” the spokesman, Anthony McCarthy, said in a statement. “A decision will be made at an appropriate time.”
It is the latest development in the effort to remove the confederate statues in Baltimore – an option which has been studied in the city since 2015.
Pugh said in May she was considering removing them after New Orleans did so.
“The city does want to remove these,” Pugh told The Baltimore Sun. “We will take a closer look at how we go about following in the footsteps of New Orleans.”
Pugh, however, suggested in May that the cost of removal could be expensive.
“It costs about $200,000 a statute to tear them down. … Maybe we can auction them?” she said.
This would not be the first removal of confederate paraphanalia from the state of Maryland.
Gov. Larry Hogan stopped the state from issuing license plates with the image of the Confederate battle flag.
Baltimore County officials moved to change the name of Robert E. Lee Park to Lake Roland Park.
Copyright 2017 WMAL.com All Rights Reserved. (Photo: Pixabay)
