City Takes Step Toward Moving Winston-Salem's Confederate Statue

City officials in Winston-Salem have taken another step to move a Confederate statue from its prominent downtown location.

On Sunday morning, crews with a background in historic preservation began the work of taking measurements needed to ensure that the move is done in a safe way that won't harm the statue.

A release from the city says the review was needed because no plans or photos of the original construction are available.

Workers examined the structure from top to bottom using a cherry picker. City officials still say a date for the statue's removal has not been determined.

The city wants to move the statue to a private cemetery because they say its downtown presence is a public nuisance that could spark violent confrontations.

The original owners of the statue, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, are fighting the move.

They say the city is giving in to mob rule sparked by vandals and protesters. They have asked that the city not move the statue until the matter has made its way through the courts.

A hearing on the monument's removal is scheduled for next month.