Administrators from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the UNC System issued a statement Tuesday evening condemning the “mob actions” that led to the removal of the Confederate “Silent Sam” statue from its pedestal.
The joint statement issued by UNC System Board Chair Harry Smith, UNC System president Margaret Spellings, UNC-Chapel Hill Trustee Chair Haywood Cochrane, Jr., and UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Dr. Carol Folt explained that “safety is always paramount,” but that administrators did not direct police officers to allow protesters to topple the statue.
“This protest was carried out in a highly organized manner and included a number of people unaffiliated with the University,” the statement said. “While we respect that protesters have the right to demonstrate, they do not have the right to damage state property.”
“While we are grateful that no one, including our police officers, was injured during last night’s protest, we will never condone mob actions and always encourage peaceful and respectful demonstrations on our campus,” the statement concluded.
Dr. John Bowles, associate professor of African American art and Faculty Affiliate at the Institute of African American Research at UNC, said that one concern for him is the university’s stance about who was involved in the protests.
“They are acting as if the opposition to Silent Sam is coming from off-campus,” he said of UNC leaders. He added that he was impressed with the ways UNC students shared what they learned about the monument’s history and inspired others to take action.
Bowles was particularly impressed by the banners students draped over the Silent Sam statue during Monday’s protests.
