Dozens of spectators lined up in a row in the blocks surrounding the park. When the Li statue was lifted from the pedestal, cheers rang out. There is an obvious presence of police, the streets are blocked by fences and heavy trucks, and vehicles are impassable.

As the crane approached the monument, Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker spoke in front of reporters and observers.

“The removal of this statue is a small step closer to helping Charlottesville, Virginia, and the United States, and working hard to overcome the evil of being willing to destroy black people for financial gain,” Walker said.

After years of controversy, community pain and lawsuits, the statue was removed. A long and tortuous legal battle, coupled with changes in state laws protecting the war memorial, put the demolition work on hold for many years.

After violence broke out in the infamous “Unity Right” rally in August 2017, the statues of Lee and Jackson were removed on Saturday. Peaceful counter-protester Heather Heyer was killed in the violence, which sparked a debate on racial equality in the United States-now former President Donald Trump insists that “both parties are responsible” further anger Got him.

As couples, families with children, and activists watch from the surrounding neighborhoods, the work seems to be going well and fairly easy. As the workers progressed, the crowd chanted and cheered intermittently. When a pair of musicians played hymns in the church near the statue of Li, the music floated on the street.

There were at least a few people who opposed the removal, including one who questioned the mayor after the mayor’s speech, but no obvious, organized protesters were present.

Ralph Dixon, a 59-year-old black man born and raised in Charlottesville, was documenting the demolition work on Saturday morning, with a camera hanging around his neck.

Dixon said he was taken to the park where the Li statue was when he was a school-age child.

The students said he was a “great man”

“All teachers, no matter what, my teacher is always talking about what a great person this is,” he said.

Dixon said that as he grew up, his understanding of Lee’s legacy and statue information continued to evolve. He said that it is important to consider the background of the Jim Crow era when the statue was erected, especially after Haye’s death, there is no reason for the statue to remain.

“It needs to be done,” he said.

Only the statues, not their stone bases, will be removed on Saturday. They will be stored in a safe place until the city council makes a final decision on what to do with them. According to state law, the city must solicit parties interested in buying the statue during the offer period that ends on Thursday. It received 10 responses for comments.

Steven Rousseau is a Canadian from the Saguenay region of Quebec. He is overseeing the project for a company that has won a contract to demolish the monument.

He said that the weight of each monument is “between 5,000 and 6,000 pounds.” Telephone interview with Radio Canada on Friday night.

Jim Hansen, who lives in nearby Barbersville, said on Saturday that he had come to witness a “historic” event. He said he has no strong personal opinion on the issue of the Confederate monument, but he thinks Charlottesville is happy to see the end of the legend.

“Good atmosphere, good atmosphere, good energy,” he said.

The most recent removal of the Lee Monument began in 2016, thanks in part to a petition initiated by a black high school student Zyahna Bryant.

“It should be long ago,” said Bryant, who is now a student at the University of Virginia.

“There is no platform for white supremacy. There is no platform for racism. There is no platform for hatred.”