ORDINANCE
CITY OF NEW ORLEANS
CITY HALL: December 1, 2015
CALENDAR NO. 31,082
NO. __________________ MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES
BY:

COUNCILMEMBERS WILLIAMS, BROSSETT, GRAY AND RAMSEY (BY
REQUEST)
AN ORDINANCE to declare the monuments erected and maintained to honor Jefferson

Davis, located on Jefferson Davis Parkway; General Robert E. Lee, located on Tivoli Circle
(commonly known as Lee Circle); the Battle of Liberty Place, located on Iberville Street; and
PGT Beauregard on Esplanade Avenue at the entrance to City Park, nuisances pursuant to
Section 146-611 of the Code of the City of New Orleans; to revoke any dedication of the
Jefferson Davis monument contained in or ordained by Section 3 of Ordinance 6737 N.C.S.; to
revoke any dedication of the General Robert E. Lee monument contained in or ordained by
Ordinance 4064 A.S.; and to provide otherwise with respect thereto.
WHEREAS, on July 9, 2015, Mayor Mitchell J. Landrieu formally requested that the
City Council begin the legislative process to consider removing the Jefferson Davis monument,
the Robert E. Lee monument, the Battle of Liberty Place monument, and the PGT Beauregard
monument, pursuant to Section 146-611 of the Code of the City of New Orleans; and
WHEREAS, on August 13, 2015, both the Historic District Landmarks Commission and
the Human Relations Commission held public hearings and respectively voted to recommend to
the Council removal of the Jefferson Davis monument, the Robert E. Lee monument, the Battle

 of Liberty Place monument, and the PGT Beauregard monument, based on the criteria set forth
in Section 146-611(b); and
WHEREAS, on September 2, 2015, the Vieux Carre Commission held a public hearing
and unanimously voted to recommend to the Council removal of the Battle of Liberty Place
monument based on the criteria set forth in Section 146-611(b); and
WHEREAS, the Chief Administrative Officer, the City Attorney, the Superintendent of
Police, and the Director of the Department of Property Management each have also submitted
recommendations to the Council to remove the Jefferson Davis monument, the Robert E. Lee
monument, the Battle of Liberty Place monument, and the PGT Beauregard monument, based on
the criteria set forth in Section 146-611(b); and
WHEREAS, per Section 146-611(d), the Council may by ordinance declare the Jefferson
Davis monument, the Robert E. Lee monument, the Battle of Liberty Place monument, and the
PGT Beauregard monument nuisances, and may provide for the removal of the statues from
outdoor public display; and
WHEREAS, after thoughtful consideration and lengthy public debate, the Council finds
that the Jefferson Davis monument, the Robert E. Lee monument, the Battle of Liberty Place
monument, and the PGT Beauregard monument, meet all three criteria for removal set forth in
Section 146-611(b), and particularly state that they honor, praise, or foster ideologies which are
in conflict with the requirements of equal protection for citizens as provided by the constitution
and laws of the United States, the state, or the laws of the city and suggests the supremacy of one
ethnic, religious, or racial group over another; NOW THEREFORE:
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SECTION 1. THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS HEREBY

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ORDAINS, That the monuments erected and maintained in honor of Jefferson Davis, Robert E.

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Lee, the Battle of Liberty Place, and PGT Beauregard are nuisances, should be removed from

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outdoor public display, and should instead be displayed indoors at an appropriate facility, such as

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a museum, or stored, donated (if they have no monetary value), or otherwise disposed of in

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accordance with provisions of law.

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SECTION 2. That any dedication of the Jefferson Davis monument contained in or
ordained by Section 3 of Ordinance 6737 N.C.S., be and the same is hereby revoked.

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SECTION 3. That any dedication of the monument to the memory of General Robert E.
Lee, contained in or ordained by Ordinance 4064 A.S., be and the same is hereby revoked.
ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS _________________

____________________________________________
PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

DELIVERED TO THE MAYOR ON ___________________

APPROVED:
DISAPPROVED:

_________________________

____________________________________________
MAYOR

RETURNED BY THE MAYOR ON ___________________ AT ___________________

____________________________________________
CLERK OF COUNCIL
ROLL CALL VOTE:
YEAS:
NAYS:
ABSENT:

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