NEW ORLEANS — Protesters at Duncan Plaza removed a statue depicting a slave owner with ties to New Orleans and threw it into the Mississippi River Saturday.
NOPD spokeswoman, Danielle Miller said two people who were driving the trucks that transported the bust to the river were apprehended and taken to NOPD Headquarters.
The statue was of John McDonogh, a white slave owner who profited off black people who were forced to work for their freedom over a period of 15 years.
He developed a program where slaves he owned could buy their own freedom, generally over the course of 15 years while he took in money from their forced labor before they were able to earn their freedom.
Police gave no further details, but videos on Twitter showed the bust of McDonogh being torn down and thrown into the Mississippi River.
Another video appears to show the moment demonstrators threw the statue into the Mississippi River near Jax Brewery.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell sent out the following tweet in response, saying "The City of New Orleans rejects vandalism and destruction of city property. It is unlawful."
McDonough left the bulk of his fortune to the cities of Baltimore and New Orleans to build public schools for poor children: white children and freed Black children. More than 30 public schools were built in New Orleans because of his donation.
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