Protestors both in support of and against Mayor Mitch Landrieu‘s decision to remove statues of confederate figures converged in New Orleans Sunday, May 7.

According to NBC, chants of C.S.A—Confederate States of America—were just as if not more common than the chants of U.S.A. during this protest in the historic city on its 299th anniversary. Landrieu had before stated that the statues representing Confederate figures, in the case of the photo attached featuring Robert E. Lee, were symbols of white supremacy and racism. Protesters in attendance were separated by a line of police, though that did not stop several fights from breaking out over the course of the day. The police, present due to threats of violence by those who do not wish for the removal of the statues, reported that it remained predominantly peaceful despite this.

While Landrieu told MSNBC last week that “these statues are an aberration in terms of what New Orleans has been and what New Orleans wants to be,” others would argue that the statues should stay as a part of history, some because they unfortunately agree with the views that the confederate flag and figures represent, and others — like businessman Frank Stewart Jr — because they believe the figures serve as a reminder that we as Americans have learned and evolved.

The city of New Orleans plans to take down the statue of Robert E. Lee as well as the other three remaining confederate statues, though the exact dates have not yet been released.

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