Protesters topple Confederate statue in North Carolina

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Protesters in North Carolina toppled a nearly century-old statue of a Confederate soldier Monday at a rally against racism.

Activists in Durham brought a ladder up to the statue and used a rope to pull down the Confederate Soldiers Monument that was dedicated in 1924. A diverse crowd of dozens cheered as the statue of a soldier holding a rifle fell to the ground in front of an old courthouse building that now houses local government offices.

Seconds after the monument fell, protesters began kicking the crumpled bronze monument.

“I was a little bit shocked people could come here and come together like that,” said Isaiah Wallace, who is black.

Wallace said he watched as others toppled the statue. He hopes other Confederate symbols elsewhere will follow.

“I feel like this is going to send shockwaves through the country and hopefully they can bring down other racist symbols,” he said.

The Durham protest was in response to a white nationalist rally held in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend. Authorities say one woman was killed Saturday after one of the white nationalists drove his car into a group of peaceful counter-protesters.