Helena Removing Confederate Memorial

Montana is among a growing list of states across the country to remove memorials which incite racial bigotry, in the aftermath of racially-charged violence sparked by the fate of Confederate iconography occupying public lands.  Less than 24 hours after Helena City Commissioners ordered that the city’s Confederate Memorial Fountain be removed, city crews began take it down.  KYVQ.com reports the fountain, like so many others throughout the nation, was commissioned by the Daughters of the Confederacy.

As of Thursday afternoon, the water was shut down, while Parks & Recreation crews removed the fountain’s top so city engineers could determine how to dismantle it.  The monument will reportedly be preserved, but officials couldn’t say where it will end up or what might replace it in the future.  City Commissioners ordered the fountain removed at an administrative meeting Wednesday night.