LAKE CHARLES, La. – Hurricane Laura toppled a Confederate monument in Lake Charles, Louisiana, just weeks after officials in the area had voted to keep the statue.
The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, which is similar to a county commission, voted Aug. 13 to leave the South’s Defenders Monument on the grounds of the courthouse, according to the local American Press newspaper.
Calcasieu Parish Administrator Bryan Beam said at the time that the parish had received 945 written responses about the monument since June. Louisiana is divided into 64 parishes, rather than counties.
“Of the total responses, 878 were against relocating the monument and 67 were for relocating the monument,” Beam said.
