The University of Texas at Austin silently removed three Confederate statues late Sunday night, just 10 days before classes begin.
Officials removed the statues depicting Robert E. Lee, Albert Sidney, and John Reagan, according to the Texas Tribune. University President Greg Fenves said that the statues were removed because the images “run counter to the university’s core values,” according to a released statement.
“We do not choose our history, but we choose what we honor and celebrate on our campus,” Fenves wrote. “As UT students return in the coming week, I look forward to welcoming them here for a new academic year with a recommitment to an open, positive and inclusive learning environment for all.”
The demolition effort was protected by fences and a police presence.
The university president already removed the statue of Confederate president Jefferson Davis two years ago, after Dylann Roof shot up a historically black church, killing nine.
The removed statues are scheduled to be relocated to the Briscoe Center for American History, along with another statue of former Texas Gov, James Stephen Hogg, who wasn’t a Confederate figure.
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