When they show you who they are, believe them. A statue of Confederate general Albert Pike that was toppled and set on fire during 2020’s nationwide protests for racial justice has now been reinstalled in Washington, D.C.’s Judiciary Square. The move, carried out over the weekend, fulfills a National Park Service plan to restore the monument after labeling its 2020 destruction as “damage from riots.”
Initially erected in 1901, the Pike statue has long been one of the capital’s most divisive symbols. It is the only monument in D.C. honoring a Confederate figure, though the plaque avoids mentioning Pike’s role in the Civil War. Instead, it lists him as an “author, poet, scholar, soldier, jurist, orator, philanthropist and philosopher.”
Interesting description. With a few omissions.
Historians note that Pike, a Freemason who received a presidential pardon from Andrew Johnson, may have been involved in the early formation of the Ku Klux Klan after the Civil War. His statue’s return has reignited frustration among many residents and city officials who have pushed for its permanent removal for decades.
The Klan. Like we said. When they show you who they are, believe them.
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, who represents the District, called the reinstallation “an affront to the mostly Black and Brown residents of Washington, D.C., and offensive to members of the military who serve honorably.” Members of the D.C. Council have been calling for the statue’s removal since 1992.
The statue became a flashpoint in June 2020 when anti-racism demonstrators used chains and ropes to pull it down following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Then-President Trump publicly condemned the protesters on Twitter, writing that those responsible “should be immediately arrested,” calling the incident “a disgrace to our country.”
Floyd’s death sparked a sweeping movement to remove Confederate monuments across the United States, resulting in more than 300 statues being taken down. Since returning to the White House, Trump has directed the reinstallation of several Confederate monuments and portraits, including the Pike statue which is a decision that continues to divide the nation’s capital.