SEE IT: Robert E. Lee statue taken down in Virginia

Peter Sblendorio

A crowd cheered early Wednesday as a towering statue of Confederate leader Robert E. Lee was taken down in Virginia.

The bronze, 21-foot sculpture depicting the general atop a horse was removed from its pedestal in Richmond by a crew that used a crane to guide the structure to the ground, a video shared by Gov. Ralph Northam’s office shows.

Spectators chanted “hey, hey hey, goodbye” as the statue was lowered, making it the latest Confederate monument to be taken down in the country recently.

Northam was in attendance Wednesday, as was Attorney General Mark Herring, according to local news station WRIC.

“With the removal of this grandiose monument to a past that no longer represents who we are as a Commonwealth, we can turn the page to a new chapter,” Herring said Wednesday.

Crews prepare to remove one of the country's largest remaining monuments to the Confederacy, a towering statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue, Sept. 8, 2021 in Richmond, Virginia.
Crews prepare to remove one of the country's largest remaining monuments to the Confederacy, a towering statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue, Sept. 8, 2021 in Richmond, Virginia.


Crews prepare to remove one of the country's largest remaining monuments to the Confederacy, a towering statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue, Sept. 8, 2021 in Richmond, Virginia. (Pool/)

The removal of the statue was approved last week by Virginia’s supreme court after Northam had expressed plans to take it down last year.

“Virginia’s largest monument to the Confederate insurrection will come down this week,” Northam said. “This is an important step in showing who we are and what we value as a commonwealth.”

Protests swept the U.S. and beyond last year following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, while in police custody in Minneapolis.

Crews remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021, in Richmond, Va. The Commonwealth of Virginia is removing the largest Confederate statue remaining in the U.S. following authorization by all three branches of state government, including a unanimous decision by the Supreme Court of Virginia.
Crews remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021, in Richmond, Va. The Commonwealth of Virginia is removing the largest Confederate statue remaining in the U.S. following authorization by all three branches of state government, including a unanimous decision by the Supreme Court of Virginia.
The statue of Robert E. Lee stands on the ground after it was lowered from its pedestal at Robert E. Lee Memorial during its removal on Sept. 8, 2021, in Richmond, Va.
The statue of Robert E. Lee stands on the ground after it was lowered from its pedestal at Robert E. Lee Memorial during its removal on Sept. 8, 2021, in Richmond, Va.
Workers remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from Market Street Park July 10, 2021 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Workers remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from Market Street Park July 10, 2021 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Workers remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from Market Street Park July 10, 2021 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Workers remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from Market Street Park July 10, 2021 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
A flatbed truck carries a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from the Market Street Park July 10, 2021 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
A flatbed truck carries a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from the Market Street Park July 10, 2021 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
City municipal crews help guide a Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park down as it is removed by a crane on July 24, 2020 in Chicago. The statue of Christopher Columbus that drew protests in Chicago was taken down early Friday amid a plan by President Donald Trump to dispatch federal agents to the city.
City municipal crews help guide a Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park down as it is removed by a crane on July 24, 2020 in Chicago. The statue of Christopher Columbus that drew protests in Chicago was taken down early Friday amid a plan by President Donald Trump to dispatch federal agents to the city.
A crane removes the Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park from its plinth on July 24, 2020 in Chicago.
A crane removes the Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park from its plinth on July 24, 2020 in Chicago.
A group of people in support of the removal of a Christopher Columbus statue cheer as it is driven away from Grant Park on July 24, 2020 in Chicago.
A group of people in support of the removal of a Christopher Columbus statue cheer as it is driven away from Grant Park on July 24, 2020 in Chicago.
A crime scene technician with the New Orleans Police Department takes photos after the statue of educator Sophie Bell Wright, whose father served in the Confederate Navy and Army, was covered with a white hood and spray-painted with BLM on July 10, 2020, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The statue, one of several vandalized this week, was one of many located throughout New Orleans that protestors say celebrate white supremacy.
The monument of Col. Charles Didier Dreux, near the intersection of Canal Street and Jefferson Davis Parkway, was vandalized in New Orleans, Louisiana on Friday, July 10, 2020. At least two statues of prominent historical figures were pulled from their pedestals in New Orleans and another has been covered with red spray paint, authorities said Friday.
Crews work to remove the Confederate Soldiers & Sailors Monument in Libby Hill Park in in Richmond, Va. on July 8, 2020. The 17-ft statue stands on a 73-foot pedestal overlooking downtown. The statue is one of several that will be removed by the city as part of the reaction to the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests.
Crews work to remove the Confederate Soldiers & Sailors Monument in Libby Hill Park in in Richmond, Va. on July 8, 2020. The 17-ft statue stands on a 73-foot pedestal overlooking downtown. The statue is one of several that will be removed by the city as part of the reaction to the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests.
Crews officially remove the Confederate Soldiers & Sailors Monument in Libby Hill Park in Richmond, Va. on July 8, 2020.
Crews officially remove the Confederate Soldiers & Sailors Monument in Libby Hill Park in Richmond, Va. on July 8, 2020.
Spectators watch as crews work to remove the Confederate Soldiers & Sailors Monument in Libby Hill Park on July 8, 2020.
Spectators watch as crews work to remove the Confederate Soldiers & Sailors Monument in Libby Hill Park on July 8, 2020.
The statue of Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart is covered in graffiti on Monument Avenue on Monday July 6, 2020, in Richmond, Va. The statue is one of several slated for removal by the city of Richmond.
The statue of Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart is covered in graffiti on Monument Avenue on Monday July 6, 2020, in Richmond, Va. The statue is one of several slated for removal by the city of Richmond.
The headless statue of Christopher Columbus stands outside of Waterbury’s City Hall on July 5, 2020, in Waterbury, Conn. The decapitated statue, which was given to the city in the 1980s by Italian American organization UNICO, was discovered Saturday morning and police are investigating. Demonstrators had called for the statue's removal last week in a protest due to the ongoing debate about the explorer's violence against indigenous people.
The "Charging Bull" statue is seen covered with blue tarp Sunday, July 5, 2020. The statue located on Bowling Green is a symbol of capitalism and is being protect against vandals, although no NYPD Officers or patrol car were present near the statue.
The "Charging Bull" statue is seen covered with blue tarp Sunday, July 5, 2020. The statue located on Bowling Green is a symbol of capitalism and is being protect against vandals, although no NYPD Officers or patrol car were present near the statue.
A woman with a gun poses for photos during the Black Women Matter "Say Her Name" march at the Lee statue on July 3, 2020, in Richmond, Va. Protests continue around the country after the death of African Americans while in police custody.
A woman with a gun poses for photos during the Black Women Matter "Say Her Name" march at the Lee statue on July 3, 2020, in Richmond, Va. Protests continue around the country after the death of African Americans while in police custody.
Workers secure the statue of Confederate Naval officer Matthew Fontaine Maury to a truck on Monument Avenue on Thursday, July 2, 2020, in Richmond, Va. Maury was better known for his work in oceanography and other sciences before the Civil War. His statue is the second removed since a new state law was enacted on July first.
Workers secure the statue of Confederate Naval officer Matthew Fontaine Maury to a truck on Monument Avenue on Thursday, July 2, 2020, in Richmond, Va. Maury was better known for his work in oceanography and other sciences before the Civil War. His statue is the second removed since a new state law was enacted on July first.
Workers remove a Christopher Columbus statue from Christopher Columbus Blvd. and Arctic Ave in Atlantic City, N.J. on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. The Christopher Columbus monument, in the resort since 1958, was taken down from its location at the base of the Atlantic City Expressway Wednesday morning.
Workers remove a Christopher Columbus statue from Christopher Columbus Blvd. and Arctic Ave in Atlantic City, N.J. on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. The Christopher Columbus monument, in the resort since 1958, was taken down from its location at the base of the Atlantic City Expressway Wednesday morning.
Crews work to remove the statue of Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson in Richmond, Va. on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney ordered the immediate removal of all Confederate statues in the city, saying he was using his emergency powers to speed up the healing process for the former capital of the Confederacy amid weeks of protests over police brutality and racial injustice.
Workers remove the Christhopher Columbus statue on the Broad St. side of Columbus City Hall on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, in Columbus, Ohio. The city says it will be replaced with a different statue or artwork that reflects diversity. A city news release said it will be placed in safekeeping at a secure city facility. The Christopher Columbus statue was a gift from the people of Genoa, Italy in 1955.
A Hillsborough County employee with the Rapid Response Team removes remaining graffiti on the pedestal of the statue at Columbus Statue Park in Tampa, Fla. on Tuesday, June 30, 2020. A column of black fists lined the sides of pedestal.
A Hillsborough County employee with the Rapid Response Team removes remaining graffiti on the pedestal of the statue at Columbus Statue Park in Tampa, Fla. on Tuesday, June 30, 2020. A column of black fists lined the sides of pedestal.
New York City Parks Department workers are seen cleaning the The Washington Square Arch at the park's northern gateway from red paint thrown by vandals using balloons overnight.
New York City Parks Department workers are seen cleaning the The Washington Square Arch at the park's northern gateway from red paint thrown by vandals using balloons overnight.
George Washington's statue facing Fifth Avenue also was damaged but was cleaned quickly, although red paint stains still can be seen on the monument.
George Washington's statue facing Fifth Avenue also was damaged but was cleaned quickly, although red paint stains still can be seen on the monument.
A bronze statue dedicated to explorer Christopher Columbus sits on a walkway in Civic Center Park after it was toppled from its pedestal on Friday, June 26, 2020, in downtown Denver, Colorado. The statue is the second to be pulled down in two days following the toppling of a Union Army soldier outside the State Capitol that was brought down early Thursday.
A statute of Christopher Columbus was discovered vandalized with red paint in San Antonio, Texas on Thursday, June 25, 2020. The San Antonio City Council has been considering moving the statue to another location.
A statute of Christopher Columbus was discovered vandalized with red paint in San Antonio, Texas on Thursday, June 25, 2020. The San Antonio City Council has been considering moving the statue to another location.
A statue of Christopher Columbus is removed from Wooster Square Park in New Haven, Conn. on Wednesday, June 24, 2020.
A statue of Christopher Columbus is removed from Wooster Square Park in New Haven, Conn. on Wednesday, June 24, 2020.
The statue of Christopher Columbus that stands in front of Union Station in Worcester, Mass. was vandalized early Tuesday morning on June 23, 2020.
The statue of Christopher Columbus that stands in front of Union Station in Worcester, Mass. was vandalized early Tuesday morning on June 23, 2020.
The statue head and upper body of Christopher Columbus sits on the back of a flatbed trailer as a construction crew removes the statue from the main campus of Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio on Friday, June 19, 2020.
The statue head and upper body of Christopher Columbus sits on the back of a flatbed trailer as a construction crew removes the statue from the main campus of Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio on Friday, June 19, 2020.
This statue of Christopher Columbus in Schenley Park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Penn. was vandalized on June 12, 2020.
This statue of Christopher Columbus in Schenley Park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Penn. was vandalized on June 12, 2020.
Workers use cherry pickers to access the statue of John C. Calhoun atop the monument in his honor at Marion Square on June 24, 2020 in Charleston, South Carolina. Former Vice President Calhoun is well-known for defending slavery.
Workers use cherry pickers to access the statue of John C. Calhoun atop the monument in his honor at Marion Square on June 24, 2020 in Charleston, South Carolina. Former Vice President Calhoun is well-known for defending slavery.
A worker uses a saw at the foot of the statue of John C. Calhoun atop a monument in his honor at Marion Square on June 24, 2020, in Charleston, S. C. Work crews began dismantling the monument in Tuesday evening.
A worker uses a saw at the foot of the statue of John C. Calhoun atop a monument in his honor at Marion Square on June 24, 2020, in Charleston, S. C. Work crews began dismantling the monument in Tuesday evening.
Protesters attempt to pull down the statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square near the White House on June 22, 2020, in Washington, D.C. Protests continue around the country over police brutality, racial injustice and the deaths of African Americans while in police custody.
Protesters attempt to pull down the statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square near the White House on June 22, 2020, in Washington, D.C. Protests continue around the country over police brutality, racial injustice and the deaths of African Americans while in police custody.
Protestors attempt to pull down the statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square near the White House on June 22, 2020, in Washington, D.C.
Protestors attempt to pull down the statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square near the White House on June 22, 2020, in Washington, D.C.
NYPD officers are seen guarding the equestrian statue of Theodore Roosevelt, a 1939 bronze sculpture by James Earle Fraser outside the American Museum of Natural History, on June 22, 2020. On Sunday, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the American Museum of Natural History announced that they will remove the prominent statue of Theodore Roosevelt from its entrance after years of objections that it symbolizes colonial expansion and racial discrimination. The bronze statue that has stood at the museum's Central Park West entrance since 1940 depicts Roosevelt on horseback with a Native American man and an African man standing next to the horse.
The bronze sculpture representing the Goddess of Masonry on the base of the statue of Confederate general Albert Pike is seen with red paint after protestors toppled Pike's statue and set it on fire early Saturday, June 20, 2020, in Washington, D.C.
The bronze sculpture representing the Goddess of Masonry on the base of the statue of Confederate general Albert Pike is seen with red paint after protestors toppled Pike's statue and set it on fire early Saturday, June 20, 2020, in Washington, D.C.
People film the only statue of a Confederate general, Albert Pike, in the nation's capital after it was toppled by protesters and set on fire in Washington, D.C. early Saturday, June 20, 2020. It comes after Juneteenth, the day marking the end of slavery in the United States, amid continuing anti-racism demonstrations following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The head part of the statue of a Confederate general Albert Pike, in the nation's capital, lies on the ground after it was toppled by protesters and set on fire in Washington, D.C. early Saturday, June 20, 2020.
The head part of the statue of a Confederate general Albert Pike, in the nation's capital, lies on the ground after it was toppled by protesters and set on fire in Washington, D.C. early Saturday, June 20, 2020.
Workers prepare to remove the Jefferson Davis statue from the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort, Ky. on Saturday, June 13, 2020. A Kentucky commission voted to take down a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis from the state Capitol. The panel supported a push from the governor as the country faces protests against police brutality following the deaths of African Americans in encounters with police.
A statue of Confederate States President Jefferson Davis lies on the street after protesters pulled it down in Richmond, Va. on June 10, 2020.
A statue of Confederate States President Jefferson Davis lies on the street after protesters pulled it down in Richmond, Va. on June 10, 2020.
The John B. Castleman statue, in Louisville's Cherokee Triangle neighborhood, is removed on June 8, 2020 from its pedestal where it has stood for over 100 years. The statue was placed on a trailer after its removal.
The John B. Castleman statue, in Louisville's Cherokee Triangle neighborhood, is removed on June 8, 2020 from its pedestal where it has stood for over 100 years. The statue was placed on a trailer after its removal.
A statue of Christopher Columbus rests in a shallow pond after protesters pulled it off its pedestal and dragged it across a street in Richmond, Va. on June 9, 2020.
A statue of Christopher Columbus rests in a shallow pond after protesters pulled it off its pedestal and dragged it across a street in Richmond, Va. on June 9, 2020.
The statues on the Confederate monument are covered in graffiti and beheaded after a protest in Portsmouth, Va. on June 10, 2020. Protesters, frustrated by the Portsmouth City Council’s decision to put off moving the monument, beheaded and then pulled down four statues that were part of a Confederate monument.
The statues on the Confederate monument are covered in graffiti and beheaded after a protest in Portsmouth, Va. on June 10, 2020. Protesters, frustrated by the Portsmouth City Council’s decision to put off moving the monument, beheaded and then pulled down four statues that were part of a Confederate monument.
Workers from Daedalus Inc. attempt to remove a statue depicting Christopher Columbus, which had its head removed, at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park on June 10, 2020 in Boston, Mass. The statue was beheaded overnight and is scheduled to be removed by the City of Boston.
Workers from Daedalus Inc. attempt to remove a statue depicting Christopher Columbus, which had its head removed, at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park on June 10, 2020 in Boston, Mass. The statue was beheaded overnight and is scheduled to be removed by the City of Boston.
The pedestal where the statue of Admiral Raphael Semmes stands empty on June 5, 2020 in Mobile, Ala. The city of Mobile removed the Confederate statue early Friday without making any public announcements.
The pedestal where the statue of Admiral Raphael Semmes stands empty on June 5, 2020 in Mobile, Ala. The city of Mobile removed the Confederate statue early Friday without making any public announcements.
An inspection crew from the Virginia Department of General Services inspect the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue on June. 8, 2020 in Richmond, Va. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has ordered the removal of the statue.
An inspection crew from the Virginia Department of General Services inspect the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue on June. 8, 2020 in Richmond, Va. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has ordered the removal of the statue.
An inspection crew from the Virginia Department of General Services take measurements as they inspect the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue on June 8, 2020, in Richmond, Va. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has ordered the removal of the statue.
An inspection crew from the Virginia Department of General Services take measurements as they inspect the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue on June 8, 2020, in Richmond, Va. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has ordered the removal of the statue.
The statue of Confederate Gen. Williams Carter Wickham lies on the ground after protesters pulled it down on June 6, 2020 in Monroe Park in Richmond, Va. The statue had stood in the park since 1891.
The statue of Confederate Gen. Williams Carter Wickham lies on the ground after protesters pulled it down on June 6, 2020 in Monroe Park in Richmond, Va. The statue had stood in the park since 1891.
Visitors check out the foundation of Confederate statue on June 7, 2020, which was removed from Monroe Park in Richmond, Va. after protesters tore it down Saturday night.
Visitors check out the foundation of Confederate statue on June 7, 2020, which was removed from Monroe Park in Richmond, Va. after protesters tore it down Saturday night.
A statue of Christopher Columbus, which was toppled to the ground by protesters, is loaded onto a truck on the grounds of the State Capitol on June 10, 2020 in St Paul, Minn.
A statue of Christopher Columbus, which was toppled to the ground by protesters, is loaded onto a truck on the grounds of the State Capitol on June 10, 2020 in St Paul, Minn.
A statue of Confederate States President Jefferson Davis lies on the street after protesters pulled it down in Richmond, Va. on June 10, 2020.
A statue of Confederate States President Jefferson Davis lies on the street after protesters pulled it down in Richmond, Va. on June 10, 2020.
A statue of Confederate States President Jefferson Davis is loaded on a tow truck after protesters pulled it down in Richmond, Va on June 10, 2020.
A statue of Confederate States President Jefferson Davis is loaded on a tow truck after protesters pulled it down in Richmond, Va on June 10, 2020.
Black Lives Matter supporters continue their protests in Jacksonville, Florida's Hemming Park at the Confederate Memorial, minus the Confederate soldier statue at the top as a backdrop. The bronze plaques around the base were removed during the night by the City of Jacksonville in the first step take down the City's confederate monuments.
Black Lives Matter supporters continue their protests in Jacksonville, Florida's Hemming Park at the Confederate Memorial, minus the Confederate soldier statue at the top as a backdrop. The bronze plaques around the base were removed during the night by the City of Jacksonville in the first step take down the City's confederate monuments.
Members of the Minnesota State Patrol stand guard as a statue of Christopher Columbus, which was toppled to the ground by protesters, is loaded onto a truck on the grounds of the State Capitol on June 10, 2020 in St Paul, Minn.
Members of the Minnesota State Patrol stand guard as a statue of Christopher Columbus, which was toppled to the ground by protesters, is loaded onto a truck on the grounds of the State Capitol on June 10, 2020 in St Paul, Minn.

The Lee statue in Richmond was frequently defaced, with graffiti visible on the pedestal when the structure was removed Wednesday.

Officials intend to take apart the statue so it can be transported, according to WRIC, though plans for the 40-foot pedestal have not been publicly announced.

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