CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Latest on the toppling of a Confederate statue at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (all times local):
10:55
The top officials of the University of North Carolina system say the toppling of a Confederate statue on the Chapel Hill campus was "unacceptable, dangerous and incomprehensible."
In a statement released Tuesday, UNC board chairman Harry Smith and system President Margaret Spellings say the university won't tolerate the intentional destruction of public property.
They say UNC-Chapel Hill leaders and police are reviewing evidence and conducting interviews "that will inform a full criminal investigation."
The memorial known as "Silent Sam" was toppled Monday night during a rally by hundreds of protesters who decried it as a symbol of racist heritage.
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10:25 a.m.
A Confederate statue in the heart of North Carolina's flagship university is no longer standing.
The memorial known as "Silent Sam" was toppled Monday night during a rally by hundreds of protesters who decried it as a symbol of racist heritage.
The bronze figure of a Southern soldier atop a tall stone pedestal was erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1913. It had been under constant police surveillance after being vandalized in recent months, costing the university hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Protesters appeared to outwit officers by splitting into two groups. Most marched away from the statue while a smaller group surrounded it with banners on bamboo poles, concealing efforts to tie a rope or cable around it. Videos show the groups converged and yanked it down.
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