Manatee commissioners vote to shroud Confederate statue ahead of protests

A shroud will shield the Confederate statue that stands outside of the Manatee County Historical Courthouse ahead of upcoming protests, the Manatee County Board of Commissioners decided during a special meeting Friday.

The decision, on a 6-1 vote, came after a tense three-hour meeting to discuss safety concerns regarding calls to remove or keep the Confederate statue. A march and protests on both sides of the issue are planned for Monday evening at the historic courthouse, bringing to mind the violent weekend surrounding white nationalist protests in Charlottesville, Va., that left three dead. Commissioner Charles Smith was the dissenting vote.

During the meeting, Smith first made a motion to place the statue into storage to prevent it from being damaged. Chairwoman Betsy Benac seconded the motion, saying that the suggestion came from the Manatee County Historical Commission’s Chairwoman Jan Greene, who is also associated with the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The group’s Judah P. Benjamin chapter erected the statue in 1924.

The estimated cost of its removal would be $10,000.

This motion did not pass with a vote of 4-3, with commissioners Carol Whitmore, Stephen Jonsson, Vanessa Baugh and Robin DiSabatino dissenting.

From commissioner statements to public comment, emotional testimony and strained concerns led the charge.

“To me, that memorial shows a horrible time that went on in this country,” Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said via phone. “We can’t make it stop. We can’t make history change.”

On one side, some did not want to move the statue out of respect for veterans and not to let the “bully” win. On the other, the 22-foot marble obelisk statue poses as a formidable figure, especially outside of a judicial center.

“I believe that (the statue) being in front of a courthouse in a public space is not the rule of thumb when it comes for justice for all and equality,” Deidre Greene Larkins said through tears, her two young children nearby.

James Anderson, a Parrish resident who wore a T-shirt bearing the likeness of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, sat in the front row and held a sign that read, “Americans build monuments. We don’t remove them!” After several warnings by Chairwoman Betsy Benac as he made out-of-turn comments as Smith spoke, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies prodded him out of the room.

The legality of the meeting also came into question. Several people were under the impression that the meeting would only discuss safety issues and nothing about moving the statue, but Manatee County attorney Mitchell Palmer said the wording in the meeting’s advertisement — to “get an update and discuss options” — was broad enough to include a possible motion.

Also, because the Manatee County Historic Courthouse is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, Palmer said he was not versed enough to know whether there are federal rules against moving the monument, or if the monument was included.

In fear of breaking the law, a majority of the commissioners voted against Smith’s initial motion to have the monument stored before Monday. Instead, Commissioner Priscilla Whisenant Trace made a motion to cover the statue so it could not be damaged, and it passed.

“At the end of the day, they did what was right because they had their own attorney tell them that he could not tell them whether or not they could be in compliance with federal law,” Manatee resident Tom Whitaker Jr. said after the meeting. “It really would have been malfeasance for elected officials to try to enact something that they don’t even know if it’s legal.”

He said the statue’s fate should be up to the citizens.

“After dialoguing with fellow Manatee County folks and we decide (relocating the statue) was best for our community, I could live with that,” he said.

Exactly when the statue would be covered was not disclosed for safety reasons, Smith said. It wasn’t clear what material would be used, but plywood was mentioned. Commissioners said they intend to learn what can legally be done with the statue and reconvene later to make a decision.

Smith has been vocally supportive of the statue’s removal from where it stands. He believes the Confederate statues have been “hijacked” by neo-Nazis and white supremacists.

“(I’m) disappointed that we didn’t do what needed to be done tonight,” Smith said after the meeting. “But in the end of the day I feel faithful that I stood and fought for what I thought was right, what I thought was right for my ancestors who in trials and tribulations were killed, murdered, raped, property stolen.”

To him, the statue ignores that half of history.

Safety at the protest is still a concern to him, but he still plans to attend Monday’s march and protests. Citizens were urged by commissioners and law enforcement to remain peaceful and orderly.

Groups that want the monument removed, including Indivisible Bradenton, Black Lives Matter Alliance Sarasota Manatee Chapter and Answer Suncoast, plan to march from the skate park along the Riverwalk to the Confederate monument outside the courthouse. They plan to meet at 6:30 p.m.

They argue the monument honors the Confederate generals who fought to preserve slavery in the South. Others say the monuments are representative of Florida’s history, and for some, honor family members who served in the national conflict.

Members of America First-Team Manatee are planning to gather at the downtown Bradenton monument at 6:30 p.m. Monday and contend the Confederate monument should be preserved.

Col. Dwayne Denison, chief deputy of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, informed commissioners that his agency has been coordinating a safety plan with the Bradenton Police Department for a couple of days and would enforce the law no matter what.

“At this point in time, we don’t anticipate anything derogatory,” Denison said. “We’re fairly confident it will be a peaceful protest and demonstration.”

This story was originally published August 18, 2017 at 9:03 PM with the headline "Manatee commissioners vote to shroud Confederate statue ahead of protests."