NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The group Save Our Circle is a proponent of leaving the Robert E. Lee monument in place, along with the name of the traffic circle that surrounds it.
But the Lee monument is one, of four, that the city is considering removing.
Following the death of New Orleans musical legend Allen Toussaint, a buzz quickly began making the rounds on social media and other ways proposing Lee Circle be renamed after the late Toussaint. Some also suggested building a new monument for the location.
A group on Facebook is even organizing an online petition to get Toussaint’s statue and name to the circle.
But the group Save Our Circle says it disagrees with the suggestion. The group thinks Toussaint deserves his own monument at a new location.
“Mr. Toussaint is a not only a New Orleans legend but a hero to many,” a statement from the group reads. “To intertwine his legacy with a battle that of historic relevance would be an injustice to what Mr. Toussaint has done for the city”
The group also says it does not want to see Toussaint drawn into a political debate.
The group also says removing Lee’s statue and renaming the circle would rob future generations of teaching opportunities.
In July, the New Orleans City Council began looking into the process of removing four Confederate monuments. The following month, two city commissions recommended the statues be removed.
In September, Mayor Landrieu’s office announced an anonymous donor was willing to pay $125,000 to have the monuments removed.
Save Our Circle insists more is better when it comes to monuments. “Let’s build up our city, not tear it down,” the group’s statement ends.
