Workers removed the confederate monument from downtown Athens Monday night. We spoke with Athens residents regarding their thoughts on the removal. Molly was among those in favor of the monument coming down.
"Uh, yeah I'm glad it's come down, I could see them doing the construction on it and everyday I was like 'please be taking down, please be taking it down,' she said. "But I'm glad to see that it has been. Why would you want the history of the Confederate side? I don't know why you'd want that anywhere to be honest. They lost, they weren't doing...for anybody."
Monisa also supported the decision.
"I do think, I'm glad it did come down because I feel like that kind of stuff should be in museums, you know? We shouldn't forget our history but we shouldn't celebrate racist figures."
They felt a museum might be a more fitting setting, as did Maddox.
"Because it is still part of history. You know how there are like specific museums for like time periods, maybe do something like that."
However there were others, like Brian, who felt the historic nature of the statue outweighed other concerns.
"I think it should be honored as part of history," according to Brian. " I don't agree with slavery whatsoever, but I don't think it has anything to do with, any involvement in that."
That monument had been in Athens since 1872. It's removal will now allow hundreds more people per hour to cross one of the city's busiest crosswalks.