Onlookers Cheer as Confederate Statue Relocation Begins in Bentonville

Crews removed a Confederate monument from the central square in Bentonville, Arkansas, on September 2, ahead of its relocation to a nearby park owned and operated by the Benton County Historical Society, according to local reports.

The monument, erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) in 1908, has previously been targeted by vandals and had recently become a flashpoint for anti-racism demonstrations following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The Arkansas division of the UDC agreed to the move after a campaign for the statue’s removal by a group of local citizens. The UDC will still own the monument after its permanent relocation to the private James H Berry Park in Bentonville.

The park is named for James Henderson Berry, a former Confederate lieutenant who later served as a US Senator and the 14th Governor of Arkansas. Berry is buried in the park, local media reported. Credit: Nathan Miller via Storyful