A Confederate monument in Orlando known as “Johnny Reb” is coming down after some folks complained that they find it offensive.
The large marble monument, a fixture in Orlando’s Lake Eola Park for a century, is dedicated to honoring soldiers who lost their lives defending the Confederate States of America. But two years of public pressure from activists with “Organize Now” convinced the city to move the monument to Greenwood Cemetery, despite fierce resistance from many locals with historic ties to the Confederacy, Orlando Weekly reports.
On Thursday, a city crew started preparations for the relocation, which was suggested by Mayor Buddy Dyer and approved by the city council in May.
David Porter, a social justice warrior leading the charge to move Johnny Reb, told WESH he’s disappointed city officials didn’t move faster to ensure it was gone before a remembrance ceremony for the victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre scheduled for the park on Monday.
“We said it was inconsistent to have this statue here at Lake Eola our iconic park here in Orland at the same time we’re talking about Orlando United,” Porter said. “That is not a sign of unity, okay. It’s the wrong place for it.”
Porter was referring to “Orlando United Day – A Day of Love and Kindness” held on June 12 to honor the victims and survivors of the Orlando terrorist attack. Radical Islamist Omar Mateen killed 49 people and wounded 58 others in the gay night club in honor of ISIS on June 12, 2016. It was the deadliest mass shooting by a single shooter in U.S. history.
The decision to remove Johnny Reb didn’t come without a fight.
Confederate supporters and history buffs flooded the Orlando City Council meeting in May – some decked out in Civil War regalia – to voice their opposition to the move, though they were largely ignored.
David McCallister told commissioners amid boos from activists that they’re setting a dangerous precedent for the treatment of military veterans, according to Orlando Weekly.
“Putting the monument away in a cemetery would be banishing it into the closet of obscurity,” McCallister said. “I didn’t think Orlando liked closets. A move like this would be seen as disuniting and offensive, and if you think otherwise, by all means, put it to a referendum.”
The council simply voted to banish the statue instead.
Benjamin Mills donned Confederate military clothing to the meeting, where he explained that his grandfathers fought in the Civil War but never owned slaves.
“It’s not about slavery,” Mills said. “(My grandfather) didn’t own shoes until he went and joined the army. … That is a monument to U.S. military soldiers.”
On Thursday, city workers took photographs of Johnny Reb in anticipation of its relocation, though city spokeswoman Cassandra Lafser told WKMG there’s no definitive timeline for the project.
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