New Orleans to take down Confederate statues

New Orleans was preparing to begin removing the first of four prominent Confederate monuments early on Monday, the latest Southern institution to sever itself from symbols viewed by many as a representation of racism and white supremacy.

Workers arrived to begin removing the first memorial, one that commemorates whites who tried to topple a biracial post-Civil War government in New Orleans, at around 1.25am in an attempt to avoid disruption by supporters who want the monuments to stay, some of whom city officials said have made death threats.