The removal was conducted by staff from the Architect of the Capitol and attended by members of Virginia’s congressional delegation including Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.), and a representative from the office of Rep. Donald McEachin (D-Va.).

A commission established earlier this year by the Virginia General Assembly recommended last week that a statue of civil rights leader Barbara Johns replace that of Lee as one of the two figures representing the Commonwealth in the Capitol. The selection of Johns must be approved by the General Assembly in the upcoming legislative session.

In a joint statement Monday, McEachin and Wexton said the removal of Lee’s statue was a “historic and long-overdue moment for our Commonwealth.”