The outrage over Confederate memorials reared its head again late Monday night as students at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill toppled another statue.
Around 9:20pm, close to 250 students knocked down the statue of “Silent Sam,” which was erected by the Daughters of the Confederacy to remember Confederate alumni who died in the Civil War.
The students hung banners around the statue with messages like “For a world without white supremacy” and posted pictures of themselves knocking the monument over on the eve of the first day of classes.
The protesters kicked the statue’s head and threw dirt on it and deployed smoke canisters, ending up in confrontations with police.
One person was arrested for “concealing one’s face during a public rally and resisting arrest,” a UNC spokesperson told CNN.
“Tonight’s actions were dangerous, and we are very fortunate that no one was injured. We are investigating the vandalism and assessing the full extent of the damage,” UNC told CNN.
Julian Carr, a Ku Klux Klan member, spoke at the unveiling of the statue in 1913, and his speech recalled his brutal beating of a black woman.
North Carolina governor Roy Cooper issued a statement condemning the destruction, saying he “understands that many people are frustrated by the pace of change and he shares their frustration, but violent destruction of public property has no place in our communities.”
NOW WATCH: “Protesters Topple Confederate Statue”