UPDATE: Virginia agency erects fence around Lee monument in Richmond

A state agency announced Monday that it was installing fencing around an enormous statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond that Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration has been fighting in court to remove.

The Department of General Services said in a news release that the fencing was intended to ensure the safety of visitors and workers as part of the plan to prepare the site for the eventual removal of the statue, should a court clear the way.

“As we await the resolution of legal challenges that have delayed the statue’s removal, DGS wants to be prepared to act quickly upon a final determination. The fencing is not intended to be permanent,” the news release said.

A group of Richmond residents sued over Northam’s proposal to remove the statue. With the case now before the Supreme Court of Virginia, an injunction is in place keeping the statue in place while the case plays out.

The Lee statue is among the largest Confederate tributes in the United States. Northam announced plans to take down the behemoth in June after the death of George Floyd.

(IMAGE: Associated Press)