Both sides react to confederate statue removal in Memphis city parks

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Crews worked through the night to remove two confederate statues from parks in Memphis, leaving many in shock with others praising the city.

Workers tied ropes around towering statues of Civil War General and Ku Klux Klan leader Nathan Bedford Forrest, and confederate president Jefferson Davis.

“There should’ve never been a monument built to this person, or anyone who fought on the confederate side,” supporter Perry Garner said.

But not everyone agrees it was the right decision.

“Just disgust and anger that the city of Memphis would do something like this,” Sons of Confederate Veterans member Lee Miller said. 

The statues came down just hours after the Memphis City Council voted unanimously to remove confederate statues from city parks.

The barren sites brought out many supporters the next day including Sydney Johnson.

“Taking the statue down won’t change history,” she said. “But it will definitely take away the intimidation factor that the statue represented.”

But some, like Miller, say the decision did more harm than good.

“General Forrest and his wife are buried underneath the statue, and it’s really disturbing they would violate the graves like they did,” Miller, who says he is a family member of Gen. Forrest,  said.

Different viewpoints aside, both sides can agree it represents change for the city of Memphis.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland says the Health Sciences Park and the Fourth Bluff Park have been sold and a private entity is conducting operations on those sites.