The mayor of Charlottesville called for an immediate removal of the Robert E. Lee Confederate statue from the city on Friday, Aug. 18.
Mayor Michael Signer reversed his former opposition to the removal and asked Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe to convene an emergency meeting of the state Assembly to remove the monument.
The call comes nearly a week after clashes in Charlottesville over the removal of the statue turned deadly.
A homemade sign that says Heather Heyer Park rests at the base of the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that stands in the center of Emancipation Park on Aug. 18, 2017, in Charlottesville, Va. Mark Wilson/Getty Images
