The following monuments and memorials were removed during the George Floyd protests, mainly due to their connections to
racism. The majority are in the
United States and mostly commemorate the
Confederate States of America (CSA), but some monuments were also
removed in other countries, for example the statues of
slave traders in the United Kingdom. Notes: • • • Dates are in 2020 unless otherwise specified.
United States The following monuments and memorials were removed during the George Floyd protests due to their association with
racism in the United States. Most commemorated people involved in the
Lost Cause of the Confederacy, with others linked to the
genocide of Indigenous people,
Racial segregation in the United States and also other related issues. In a few instances, like the Montgomery County Confederate Soldiers Monument and the
statue of John Mason, the monuments had already been moved from their original location, sometimes more than once, as different venues objected.
Confederate monuments The
Confederate States of America fought a four-year war (the
American Civil War) to preserve the institution of slavery. After its defeat, all enslaved
African Americans were freed and became citizens with the same rights as whites. Confederate monuments commemorate politicians,
Army officers, and soldiers of the Confederacy. Most are in the former CSA states. This table does not include Virginia, which is in a second table that follows.
Virginia Virginia, where the CSA had its capital in
Richmond, has the most Confederate monuments of any U.S. state. A March 2020 change in the
law of Virginia had already essentially repealed the statute preventing removal of historical monuments, effective from July 1, 2020. This change became possible when voters, after electing the Democrat
Ralph Northam as Governor in 2017, gave the
Democrats control of both houses of the
Virginia General Assembly from January 2020, for the first time in a generation.
Genocide of indigenous peoples Monuments dedicated to individuals accused of involvement in the
genocide of indigenous peoples in the Americas have been removed.
Juan de Oñate, when
governor of
Santa Fe de Nuevo México, was responsible for the 1599
Acoma Massacre.
Junípero Serra, a
Franciscan friar, was involved in enslaving
Chumash people in the 18th century for the building and supplying of the
Spanish missions in California.
Diego de Vargas, also governor of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, led the reconquest of the territory in 1692, after the
Pueblo Revolt of 1680. A handful of towns in Spain have offered to receive statues of Spaniards unwanted in the U.S.
Christopher Columbus Several statues of
Christopher Columbus, the initiator of the
European colonization of the Americas, have been removed because of his alleged enslavement of and systemic violence against the
indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, including the genocide of the
Taíno people. In 2025,
The New York Times found that several Columbus statues removed from American cities during the protests had been subsequently restored for display in less prominent locations by
Italian American groups such as the
Sons of Italy. Most such statues had originally been gifted by Italian Americans rather than being commissioned by the government. On October 2025, it was announced that a replica of the toppled and vandalized
Baltimore statue would be placed on display at the
White House.
Others • Nazi POW Gravestones.
San Antonio, Texas. Announced June 1. Removed December 23. Removed by
Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery employees. Source.
United Kingdom Atlantic slave trade The
Royal African Company, which engaged in
African slave trading between 1662 and 1731, enslaved and shipped more Africans to the
Americas than any other institution in the history of the Atlantic slave trade.
Others Belgium King
Leopold II of Belgium personally ruled the
Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908, treating it as his personal property. During this period,
many well-documented atrocities were perpetrated against the population, including the severing of hands of workers unable to meet a production quota for rubber, and the destruction of entire villages that were unwilling to participate in the forced labour regime. These acts contributed to a genocide during this period,
often estimated at between five million and ten million.
New Zealand Royal Navy officer
John Fane Charles Hamilton, after whom the city of
Hamilton is named, played a prominent part in the
Tauranga campaign of the
New Zealand Wars.
South Africa Statues that come down in South Africa were preceded by and done in the context of the Rhodes Must Fall movement that resulted in the removal of a statue of Cecil Rhodes at the
University of Cape Town.
India France On May 22, 2020, before the murder of George Floyd, two statues of
Victor Schœlcher were torn down in
Martinique, an
overseas department of France. Further colonial monuments in the overseas departments were targeted later in the year and in 2021; those which were mutilated in the period after May 25, 2020, are listed here. The French president
Emmanuel Macron declared his opposition to removing statues relating to France's colonial history on June 14, 2020.
Barbados Canada In Canada, removed statues were attacked in a general anticolonialist context, rather than being directly linked to the typical BLM targets in Britain or the United States.
Ireland Colombia Removals under consideration Some officials have announced their decisions to remove monuments under their jurisdiction, and are currently working to push through whatever legislative or permission barriers they need to accomplish their goals. • Alaska:
Anchorage Mayor
Ethan Berkowitz announced on June 24, 2020, that he will leave the decision about removal of the
statue of
James Cook in downtown Anchorage up to the
Native Village of Eklutna and other area
Denaʼina tribes. • Florida: Protesters at
Florida State University,
Tallahassee, call for removal of the
Eppes Statue, at the original entrance to the campus; he was a slaveowner who was influential in the founding of Florida State. The building of the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice is also named for him. Protesters are also calling for renaming of
Doak Campbell Stadium. • Louisiana:
East Feliciana Parish Police Jury announced June 15, 2020, that they will revisit in two weeks the issue of a possible removal of a Confederate statue that sits outside their courthouse. • Louisiana: City of
Alexandria voted to have Confederate Monument in front of
Rapides Parish Courthouse. However, there is an ongoing court case to determine who owns the statue: the City of Alexandria, Rapides Parish, or the UDC. • Kentucky:
Murray City Council passed a unanimous vote to remove the
Confederate Monument of Robert E. Lee from in front of their courthouse. The County Attorney isn't sure if the county has authority to move the statue, which is on the
National Register of Historic Places, and so is conducting further research. Public feedback is expected. • Mississippi:
Forrest County Supervisors passed a measure on June 15, 2020. In November, voters will decide about the removal of a Confederate monument in front of their courthouse. • Ohio: As of June 14, 2020,
Cincinnati city council member is making a motion to remove an
equestrian statue of President
William Henry Harrison from
Piatt Park. • Texas:
Weatherford: The United Daughters of the Confederacy asked for the removal of the United Confederate Veterans of Parker County monument in front of the Parker County Courthouse. • Washington, D.C.: In July the House voted to remove 11 Confederate statues and statues of three others – Charles Aycock, John C. Calhoun, and James Paul Clarke – from the
United States Capitol. The statues are part of the
National Statuary Hall Collection, a set of 100, with two supplied by each state. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said replacement decisions should be up to the individual states and the bill would need to pass the GOP-controlled Senate. == Other artworks ==