On Monday night, the Baltimore City Council passed a resolution calling for the immediate deconstruction of these monuments, days after a “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia that drew white nationalists and counter-protesters turned violent. “Unite the Right” organizers said one of the reasons behind the event was the city’s plan to remove a Robert E Lee monument from a park there.

“It’s time that we start a big positive message,” artist Shawn Theron said. “We are making history by putting them in the past, going forward.” “It’s celebrating slavery, which is just wrong,” Archie McGhee said.

While some praised the mayor for swiftly removing the statues, others are concerned the action has erased parts of history. “I get very upset by this,” said Raymond Rooks, who is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. He said two of his great grandfathers fought for the Confederacy. He calls the removal of the monuments a slippery slope that could start a process of wiping away his culture.

A state official said the Maryland Historical Trust will work with the City to relocate and then restore or preserve all four monuments. “It’s very powerful, because here you have an African-American female mayor who made the decision to remove this statue… it’s very powerful, very symbolic,” one man told WJZ. He came to see the Lee and Jackson monument being taken down after he got off of work.