Shreveport Confederate Monument Must Be Moved In 90 Days

Earlier this week, the Caddo Parish sent a letter to the Shreveport Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy informing them they have 90 days to remove the Confederate Monument from in front of the Caddo Parish Courthouse.

This is likely one of the final official documents in the on-going saga over the monument.

Back in 2017, the Caddo Commission voted to remove the monument from in front of the courthouse. That vote was challenged through multiple levels of the judicial system, with every level of the court siding with the Parish. The US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the Parish earlier this year, and ruled against the UDC "with prejudice", which indicated that something unprecedented would have to be brought in front of a court to overturn that decision.

The letter sent from the Parish this week read:

"As you are aware, Caddo Parish has been in litigation with the Daughters concerning removal of the monument since October 2017, when the Parish passed Resolution 69 of 2017 authorizing the monument’s removal. The Federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal has ruled that the Parish owns the ground beneath the monument and has the right to request its removal.

By virtue of Resolution 69, the Parish has withdrawn consent for the Confederate Monument, as your organization’s property, to remain on the Courthouse Square which is the Parish’s property.”

The Parish indicated that they will be willing to work with the UDC on removal procedures, including "reasonable access to Courthouse Square".

This current timeline indicates that the monument must be removed before the end of November, 2019.