A crowd of about 250 protesters on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s campus knocked over the controversial Silent Sam Confederate statue, according to the university.
A video and pictures from a student shows the statue coming down as students chant “I believe that we will win.”
Video footage from CNN affiliate WRAL-TV shows students putting up poles and banners around the statue during daylight. By nightfall, video from WRAL shows the statue falling down and students cheering. Students could also be seen kicking Silent Sam’s head and putting dirt on the statue.
“Tonight’s actions were dangerous, and we are very fortunate that no one was injured. We are investigating the vandalism and assessing the full extent of the damage,” UNC said in a statement to CNN.
The statue came down around 9:20 p.m. ET, the university said.
Silent Sam was erected in 1913 to remember the “sons of the University who died for their beloved Southland 1861-1865,” according to UNC’s website. The United Daughters of the Confederacy gave the statue to the university in 1909.
