Virginia Senator Charged For Damaging A Confederate Statue

A Virginia lawmaker is facing charges after damaging a Confederate monument, leading to a protester being injured, during a protest in Portsmouth in June.

According to authorities, Senator Louise Lucas has been charged with conspiracy to commit a felony and injury to a monument in excess of $1,000. This comes the same week as state lawmakers are taking up dozens of criminal justice reforms during an important legislative session.

Lucas joined the chamber in 1992 and has been recognized as an expert Democratic legislator and main power source broker in the state Senate.

Many of the lawmaker’s fellow Democratic leaders stood behind her, in agreement with her actions and against her punishment.

"Louise Lucas is a trailblazing public servant who isn't afraid to do and say what she believes is right. Her opposition to a racist monument is the definition of what John Lewis called 'good trouble.' I stand with my good friend,” Former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe said.

Virginia’s current governor, Ralph Northam, also weighed in on Twitter Monday evening (8/17), calling Lucas’ charges “unusual."

"It's deeply troubling that on the verge of Virginia passing long-overdue police reform, the first Black woman to serve as our Senate Pro Tempore is suddenly facing highly unusual charges.”

Many organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, have called for her and other protesters’ charges to be dropped, saying the charges “constitute a stark overreach by police because they were not approved by the local prosecutor's office.”

Others facing charges include members of the local NAACP chapter, a local school board member and members of the public defender’s office, according to Portsmouth Police Chief Angela Greene.

In addition, the police chief stated that “several individuals conspired and organized to destroy the monument as well as summon hundreds of people to join in felonious acts that not only resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to the monument, but also permanent injury to an individual."

Photo: Getty Images