As Hurricane Laura was heading out of south Louisiana early Thursday morning, it took one last blast to topple a very controversial symbol of the Confederacy that has plagued the citizens of Lake Charles for weeks. Since 1915, the South's Defenders Memorial Monument has stood outside of the Calcasieu Parish Courthouse in Lake Charles. It was intended as a memorial to honor the war dead from Louisiana. But in light of recent events, there have been protests, and rallies to tear it down. Detractors claim it is a symbol of racism and a reminder of slavery.

According to the monument's official website, earlier this month it was saved from destruction. They stated "Thanks be to God we saved The South's Defenders Memorial Monument with a landslide victory at the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury tonight, August 13, with a vote of 10 to 4 to keep it where it is."

But Hurricane Laura had other plans. Last night, at the height of the Category 4 storm, the statue was toppled by winds that were in excess of 150 MPH. Check out photos of the downed statue from Twitter user Davante Lewis.

 

 

7 Lazy Rivers in Louisiana

 

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