City leaders vote to remove/relocate Confederate Memorial in St. Augustine

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — UPDATE, 6/22/2020, 8:45 p.m.: The City Commission has voted, 3-2, in favor of removing/relocating the Confederate Memorial from the Plaza de la Constitution, the city of St. Augustine said in a Facebook post.

Mayor Tracy Upchurch, Vice-Mayor Leanna Freeman, and Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline voted in favor. Commissioners John Valdes and Roxanne Horvath voted in opposition.

Original story below:

City leaders in St. Augustine will decide the fate of confederate monuments on Monday morning.

Confederate monuments have caused a lot of controversy over the years. In 2017, the city council voted to keep confederate memorials and later added plaques to bring historical context.

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Action News Jax reported two weeks ago when protesters in St. Augustine demanded the confederate monuments be taken down, standing in strength with those impacted by recent violence.

The monument at Plaza de la Constitucion could be relocated, pending the decision of the city commission. The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. If you would like to submit a public comment, email CityClerk@CityStAug.com before 8 a.m. or call when prompted at 904-293-4330.

Action News Jax will carry the meeting LIVE online by clicking here. It can also be watched on the Action News Jax NOW app for Amazon Fire, Apple TV or Roku.

Debate over confederate statues in St. Augustine Debate over confederate statues in St. Augustine

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