Confederate Statue Returns to DC After 2020 Toppling

A controversial statue honoring Confederate general Albert Pike, which was toppled and set on fire during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, has been restored and reinstalled in Washington, DC's Judiciary Square. The move follows a prior announcement by the National Park Service, which cited "federal responsibilities under historic-preservation law and recent executive orders to beautify the nation's capital and restore pre-existing statues," NPR reports. The Pike statue, first erected in 1901, has long been a source of debate in the capital. It is the only monument in DC dedicated to a Confederate general, though it does not reference Pike's military record.

Instead, the plaque, originally installed by the Freemasons, describes Pike as an "author, poet, scholar, soldier, jurist, orator, philanthropist, and philosopher." Pike's legacy is further clouded by historical claims linking him to the early Ku Klux Klan. DC Council members have pushed for the statue's removal for decades, dating back to 1992. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, representing the district, sharply criticized the reinstallation, which she described as an "affront to the mostly Black and Brown residents of the District of Columbia and offensive to members of the military who serve honorably." Pike, she said, "served dishonorably" and "represents the worst of the Confederacy."

"He took up arms against the United States, misappropriated funds, and was ultimately captured and imprisoned by his own troops," Norton said. "He resigned in disgrace after committing a war crime and dishonoring even his own Confederate military service. Confederate statues should be placed in museums as historical artifacts, not remain in parks or other locations that imply honor." She has introduced legislation aimed at removing the statue for good.

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The Washington Post notes that Pike's statue was one of scores of Confederate monuments torn down in 2020. President Trump, then in his first term, slammed police and DC Mayor Muriel E. Bowser for not protecting the statue. "They ripped down a statue that was 110 years old. Beautiful piece of art. In front of a police precinct with our radical left mayor watching on television," he said. "We're not happy. That's going to be very expensive for DC."