Judge allows removal of Confederate statue at Arlington National Cemetery amid protests

A federal judge has ruled to allow the removal of a Confederal memorial from Arlington National Cemetery in northern Virginia after it was temporarily halted.

A federal judge ruled Tuesday to allow a Confederate memorial to be removed from Arlington National Cemetery in northern Virginia after it was halted amid a temporary restraining order submitted by protesting groups.

The removal of the Confederate memorial is congressionally mandated to be removed by Jan. 1, 2024, according to the Army National Military Cemeteries, which is heading the removal procedures at Arlington.

"Plaintiffs have not alleged facts that support the premise that Defendants intend to "destroy" rather than "remove" the Memorial," said District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr. in his opinion. "The parties discussed at oral argument that the Memorial will likely end up reconstituted at another site. Moreover, Plaintiffs had no answer regarding how the deconstruction and removal of the Memorial in the manner planned would result in irreparable harm, given that it appears that the Memorial can be reconstructed at a later time if Plaintiffs ultimately succeed in the claims."

A congressional commission in 2021 required the removal "of all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederate States of America … or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America" from all assets of the Department of Defense.

This does not include headstones, markers and burial receptacles buried at the cemeteries, according to the commission's final report to Congress.