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Group in Murray uses origami to protest Confederate statue

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PaperCranesMurrayStatue
By Danny Valle

MURRAY, Ky. (WSIL) -- The statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee has sat at the corner of Fourth and Main Streets in downtown Murray since May 1917.

Since June 2020, groups have held weekly protests in support of moving the statue away from its place in front of the Calloway County Courthouse.

On Tuesday, students at Murray State University used their off-day to fold 1,000 paper cranes and place them around the statue.

The group, Murray State College Democrats, used a Japanese proverb as inspiration. It said that folding 1,000 paper cranes would grant a wish. That group's wish is for the statue to be moved somewhere else.

PaperCrane

Paper crane sits on a bush next to the Robert E. Lee statue in front of the Calloway County Courthouse

"This is pretty strong evidence that some members of Murray and Calloway County do in fact want the statue moved," said Ashlen Grubbs, pointing at a table of volunteers. Grubbs is a member of the group's activist committee.

Students and residents began arriving at 11 a.m. They set up tables and placed yellow signs in front that read 'Move The Monument' and '#RemoveRobert.

RemoveRobert

'Move The Monument' sign near the Robert E. Lee statue in Murray, Ky.

Counter demonstrators later arrived and argued against removing the statue. Paducah resident Tina Cavitt is a descendant of Lee who says that removing the statue from the public eye is equivalent to erasing history.

"I understand where they're trying to come off saying it's all just trying to make the Confederacy about slavery, but that wasn't what it was about," Cavitt said.

TinaCavittRobertELee

Tina Cavitt, a descendant of Robert E. Lee, stands on the corner of Fourth and Main Streets in Murray in support of keeping the monument at the Calloway County Courthouse.

But the group disagreed. Grubbs says Lee's statue represents hate, prejudice and racism. Grubbs hopes peaceful discussions can come from protests instead of tense clashes.

"People who refuse to even consider the idea of moving it at all are those who simply refuse to communicate and compromise," Grubbs said.

The group is set to take part in another demonstration to move the statue elsewhere. That begins Saturday at 11 a.m.