The city of Memphis sold two public parks containing Confederate monuments to a private entity Wednesday in a massive operation to take the statues down overnight. The Memphis City Council unanimously approved the sale to an unknown entity without disclosing the details of what they were voting on and within minutes Memphis police officers had deployed to the statues of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest in Health Sciences Park and President Jefferson Davis in Fourth Bluff Park. Mayor Jim Strickland, who signed the ordinance to sell the parks within an hour after the vote, released this statement on his social media accounts shortly after 6 p.m.: "Health Sciences Park and Memphis Park have been sold. Operations on those sites tonight are being conducted by a private entity and are compliant with state law. We will have further updates later tonight." Cranes were spotted at the Forrest statue around 6 p.m. http://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/government/city/2017/12/20/memphi... Also, Earlier this month, the city filed a petition asking for judicial review of the Tennessee Historical Commission's denial of a request to remove the Forrest statue. abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/memphis-parks-confederate-statues-sold-removal-begins-51921091 The city was trying to get the Historical Commission's denial of the waiver to remove the statue nullified, with the argument being that the Heritage Protection Act doesn't cover the Forrest memorial because it's not a "War Memorial". However, the remains of Forrest and his family are buried UNDER THE STATUE, making it a GRAVE. Because the statue itself is the headstone, thus part of the grave being desecrated, the demolition crew, the city officials, the police, and everyone who was involved in the act can be charged with criminal conspiracy for desecrating the grave. 39-17-311. Desecration of Venerated Object: (a) A person commits an offense who intentionally desecrates: (1) A place of worship or burial; or (2) A state or national flag. (b) A violation of this section is a Class A misdemeanor. law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2010/title-39/chapter-17/part-3/39-17-311/ The city sold the parks to a private trust, so their argument is that it was private property so they can do what they want with it. However, the monuments themselves are protected by the Tennessee Heritage Protection Act, which is why the city applied for a waiver and was denied, so by going this alternate route it would appear the city overstepped its bounds. They're taking down the Jefferson Davis statue next. Pic related.
