A statue of Abraham Lincoln has been removed from the American city of Boston. In addition to the former president, the statue also shows a former slave kneeling next to him.
The bronze statue is a replica of a statue in Washington and has been in Boston for over 140 years. Following a petition in June, the Boston Art Commission voted to remove the statue, which was intended as a tribute to the liberation of slaves.
However, it was seen by some as a display of white dominance, CNN reports.
Mayor Marty Walsh’s office has announced that the statue will be sent to a warehouse for the time being. According to a spokesman, the intention is that the sculpture will be on display again in the future, only in a place where the historical context is better reflected.
The statue’s removal follows massive Black Lives Matter protests in the United States earlier this year, which followed the death of black detainee George Floyd.
Lincoln (1861-1865) is one of the country’s most consequential presidents. He was president during the civil war in the 19th century and kept the agricultural south from seceding. He thereby also ensured the abolition of slavery.