Peaceful rally held to remove Confederate monument outside Madison County Courthouse

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - Thursday morning, a local group rallied for the removal of a Confederate monument outside the Madison County Courthouse.

Side by side with signs in hand, dozens of protesters walked peacefully around the Madison County Courthouse with one goal in mind.

To remove the Confederate monument.

Community leader with No More Dirty Inc., Fredrick Whitlow II, organized the event in hopes to raise awareness.

“It needs to be removed and it needs to be removed immediately based upon the reality that it’s injustice and it’s not equality and nor is it air to have a statue that represents something like racism and bigotry,” said Whitlow.

Tom Possert has been living in Huntsville since 2005 and said he was surprised when he first saw the monument.

“One, it’s a symbol of injustice, inequality, racism, slavery and the more I looked into the history of this statue the more I’m even disappointed that the statue is still standing,” said Possert.

Others that attended the rally said they are hopeful the statue will be removed soon, but will continue to let their voices be heard to end racism.

“Of course I don’t agree with what it stands for, but at the same time I can’t take back that it was put up in the first place. We have the chance to take it down and so as much power as we can use should be used to take it down,” said Narci Hardin, attendee.

The Madison County Commission passed a resolution to remove the monument from the courthouse.

The resolution passed by the Madison County Commission requires approval from a state committee to move the monument.

If the committee signs off the monument will be moved to Maple Hill Cemetery.

That committee next meets on July 9.

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