Arizona Democratic leaders call for removal of confederate statue

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - Erected in 1961 and still standing today across the Arizona State Capitol, the confederate statue in Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza is a symbol that state leaders gathered in front of today to condemn.

"When we began to talk about civil rights, when we began to talk about making sure that African Americans had equal rights, that's when this monument was put here," Reginald Bolding said.

State Representative Bolding, along with other Democratic leaders like congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick and Lawrence Robinson, who is a member of the Roosevelt Elementary governing board, came together to urge the governor to take action.

"Enough with the nonsense and hate, enough with honoring traders to our country," Robinson said.

The events in Charlottesville renewed the conversation, and the memorial was even spray painted in the middle of the night last week.

"Governor Ducey, let's remove this memorial and say once and for all that we do not celebrate slavery," Kirkpatrick said.

We reached out to the governor's office, who referred us to his previous statement made last Monday.

"It's not my desire or mission to tear down any monuments or memorials," Gov. Ducey said in a statement. "We have a public process for this. if the public wants to be engaged in this, I'd invite them to get engaged in it."

Today, state representative Bolding says that requires groups like the Legislative Governmental Mall Commission to get together.

"The governor is unwilling to call on these commissions and board to meet, so the public can have a chance to use their voice," he said.

A message made in front of a memorial with another message written below it.

"A nation that forgets its past has no future."