Jacksonville City Council votes to withdraw Confederate monument removal bill

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Following hours of nationalist remark and discussion, the Jacksonville City Council voted astatine its gathering Tuesday evening to retreat an ordinance to walk $1.3 cardinal to region a Confederate infinitesimal that sits successful Springfield Park.

The ballot was 12-6.

That ballot came aft assembly members archetypal voted during the gathering against postponing the last ballot connected the legislation, which was introduced by Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry to person the Tribute to the Women of the Confederacy Monument removed.

Curry reacted to the quality connected societal media, tweeting: “Tonight the City Council disappointingly denied a measurement toward existent advancement successful Our City by refusing to ballot connected the removal of a divisive monument from nationalist land.”

City Councilwoman Brenda Priestly Jackson besides tweeted aft the vote, saying authorities to region the monument whitethorn beryllium reintroduced astatine immoderate time.

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Demonstrators gathered connected the steps of City Hall and past spoke successful nationalist comment, asking for the removal of the monument oregon the postponement of a ballot connected the bill.

Supporters of keeping the monument besides showed up and outnumbered activists opposed to the statue.

Opinions ranged from saying that Jacksonville is inactive warring the Civil War, that a “no” ballot would stain the city’s estimation forever, and adjacent that assembly members would perpetuate achromatic supremacy and a radical divide.

On the different side, monument supporterss said that $1.3 cardinal is conscionable excessively overmuch to spend, that the statue honors each women and families, and that it’s clip to halt surviving successful the past.

At 1 point, the assembly president cleared the chamber.

Prior to Tuesday evening’s assembly meeting, three assembly committees voted past week against paying $1.3 million to person the statue removed.

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Two influential section groups, the Jax Chamber and the Jacksonville Civic Council, called connected the City Council to either postpone oregon retreat a ballot connected the legislation.

Curry’s medication addressed the calls for postponing the ballot connected Monday.

“Mayor Lenny Curry asked for and submitted this authorities successful bid to region this monument from nationalist property. This is simply a monument that is unnecessarily dividing our assemblage and represents, to immoderate residents, radical hatred. The City Council yet volition determine if this measure advances. Mayor Curry is asking for transition to region this monument arsenic rapidly arsenic possible,” said Brian Hughes, Chief Administrative Officer.

Curry said past week that people’s voices should beryllium heard connected the substance and that helium encourages radical to telephone and scope retired to members of the assembly if they person an sentiment astir the statue.

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Curry was asked if helium thought keeping the statue successful place, adjacent covered by a tarp arsenic it is now, would pb to problems.

“Well I deliberation the protests successful Jacksonville person been mostly peaceful,” Curry said. “We had an occurrence oregon 2 the summertime of past twelvemonth that JSO was capable to rapidly get nether control.”

The Northside Coalition, which has been precise vocal successful the debate, has said successful the past that it plans to protestation and perchance boycott businesses that don’t enactment the efforts to region the monument.

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