At
a rally earlier this week, protesters used a rope to pull down
the statue known as Silent Sam, erected in 1913 to honor
soldiers of the pro-slavery Confederacy killed during the Civil
War.
Each of the three people faces misdemeanor charges of riot and
defacing of a public monument, university police spokesman Randy
Young said in an emailed statement.
The three are not affiliated with the University of North
Carolina, Young said. A police investigation may result in
additional arrests.
The incident was part of a movement to dismantle U.S. Civil War
symbols that critics say glorify the South's legacy of slavery.
Many Americans see statues such as Silent Sam as symbols of
racism and a glorification of the South's defense of the
institution of slavery. Supporters view the memorials as
important symbols of American history.
The university said in a statement on Friday that it expected a
rally on Saturday on campus and in town and it was working with
local officials and law enforcement to ensure safety.
"We do not know for sure what groups may attend, but we are
mindful that the current atmosphere is highly charged," the
university said, urging people to stay away.
Some students and others have received threats because of
Monday's events, the university said.
University police reviewed video on Tuesday to identify the
protesters who toppled the statue.
The UNC system board chair, Harry Smith Jr., and president,
Margaret Spellings, denounced the toppling of the statue.
The university will reinstall Silent Sam within 90 days as
required by North Carolina law, UNC system board member Thom
Goolsby said in a statement on Thursday.
Last year UNC students threatened to sue the school, alleging
that the university violated federal anti-discrimination laws by
allowing the statue to remain on campus.
Campus police arrested at least one person at Monday's protest
for wearing a mask and resisting arrest. The person arrested was
not one of the three people charged, Young said.
(Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales in Chicago; editing by Alistair
Bell and Leslie Adler)
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