BRADENTON, Fla. -- Confederate Monuments have garnered attention nationwide as the debate for the removal has arisen.
Manatee County Commissioners met Tuesday to discuss the possible removal of the Confederate Monument from the Historic Courthouse Grounds in downtown Bradenton.
Commissioners voted to remove the statue overnight Wednesday until the early hours of Thursday morning, to 'prevent major traffic disruptions.'
Officials also cited the monument as a "greater public safety risk" when crews discovered that the around 22-foot, 8.5-ton granite was not as stable as previously noted. The base of the monument was not completely attached the rest of the statue and a crane worked to remove the spire around 3:30 a.m.
#ConfederateMonument gone! @ManateeGov removed it over night DT #Bradenton, broke in half, in undisclosed location pic.twitter.com/7ovnkZF62a
— Isabel Mascarenas (@IMascarenas) August 24, 2017
The Property Management Director, Charlie Bishop, said, "“Thankfully no one was hurt when the spire came down. We’re confident that it can be fully repaired and safely placed in a permanent location once the location is determined.
Manatee County officials also plan to involve the public in the discussion for a new location for the monument. The County also plans to hire a structural engineer to redesign the foundation and repair the monument for its future destination.
For more information, check out the Manatee County Government website.
