Confederate Statue Removed From Old Plaquemine Courthouse Months After Vote

More than half a year after an Iberville Parish Council vote, the confederate statue outside the old Plaquemine Courthouse has been removed. In June 2020, the council unanimously voted to get rid of the 108-year-old statue and place it in storage.

Photos shared by WBRZ on Tuesday (January 19) show the pedestal that previously displayed the monument to the Confederacy outside former courthouse was now empty. The removal has been about seven months in the making after the Iberville Parish Council voted to get rid of it following a nationwide outcry to remove confederate statues due to ties to slavery.

"If we're going to move forward then I don't want to pass it every day and be reminded what it stands for," one resident said before the council's vote last summer. "That should be offensive to everyone in this room if we're going in the same direction."

After the unanimous vote, Councilman Raheem Pierce spoke about what it means for the city.

"I'm proud of my colleagues," Pierce said. "I'm thankful that we all went one accord and voted against it and for it to be removed."

He continued, "I think it's time to move forward. It's history, and it's one side of history."

Photo: Getty Images