A judge in Richmond has issued a 10 day injunction preventing Gov. Ralph Northam from removing the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue.
The 60-foot statue of Lee has stood in a place of honor on Richmond's Monument Avenue since 1890. The order says Virginia is party to a deed recorded that year, in which the state accepted the statue, pedestal, and grounds, and agreed to "faithfully protect them."
The lawsuit was filed by William Gregory, a descendant of two signatories on the deed. The judge's order claims it is "in the public's interest to resolve the case before the statue is removed."
A spokesperson for the governor says he is committed to taking down the divisive symbol, and his administration is confident he has that authority.
