New Orleans removes statue of Confederate Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard

May 17 (UPI) -- New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu on Wednesday said workers removed a statue of Confederate Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard from City Park, calling it a "another step forward for our city."

New Orleans workers began the process of removing the bronze statue Tuesday night after escorting away pro-monument supporters. Work continued until early Wednesday.

"It is through acts of courage and standing for what is right that we will build the city of our dreams," Landrieu said in a statement on Wednesday. "The third Confederate statue is now down. Another step forward for our city."

The removal of several Confederate statues has been a contentious topic in New Orleans, as groups for and against the move have taken to the streets in protest.

"Today we take another step in defining our city not by our past but by our bright future," Landrieu said in a statement on Tuesday. "While we must honor our history, we will not allow the Confederacy to be put on a pedestal in the heart of New Orleans. As we near our city's 300th anniversary, we must continue to find courage to stand up to hate and embrace justice and compassion."

In December, the New Orleans City Council declared four monuments nuisances and first removed the Battle of Liberty Place monument a month ago, which was erected by a white supremacist group to commemorate a deadly insurrection against New Orleans' racially integrated police department and government in 1874.

New Orleans last week removed a statue of Confederate icon Jefferson Davis from Mid-City as part of a "march to reconciliation."

Following the removal of the Beauregard statue, the statue that remains to be removed is of Gen. Robert E. Lee, who commanded the Confederacy during the Civil War.