Weatherford mayor asks county to set a date to remove Confederate statue
The Weatherford mayor formally asked Parker County officials to set a date for the removal of a Confederate statue that was at the heart of violent clashes between protesters and counter-protesters last weekend.
On Saturday, 50 to 75 protesters planned a march in the city to demand the removal of a Confederate soldier statue from the Parker County courthouse lawn. The protest was a coordination between the Fort Worth group Enough is Enough and the Parker County Progressives.
As the group approached the courthouse, they were met with hundreds of people who said they were defending it. Some protesters on both sides carried guns.
Some of those counter-protesters threw water bottles at protesters and yelled at them to go home, according to videos on social media. One counter-protester punched a protester; the protester was shown in another video hitting the man with an umbrella. Another man tried to tackle a protester and was arrested by the Parker County Sheriff’s Department.
Another man was arrested as he poked and cursed at a Black man who was trying to leave the area, the Weatherford Democrat reported.
Tuesday evening at the City Council meeting, Mayor Paul Paschall addressed Saturday’s events. He said the right to peacefully protest, regardless of individual opinion, is part of the Constitution and is supported by Weatherford.
“The citizens and business community of Weatherford witnessed terrifying, disturbing and careless actions unfold at the steps of the Parker County Courthouse,” Paschall said. “The inappropriate actions that occurred are not condoned in any shape, form or fashion by the city of Weatherford, its mayor, its city council, citizens or business community.”
Paschall said the “lawlessness that occurred Saturday night” put the community and public safety personnel at risk.
“The vast majority of protesters on both sides traveled to our community to address the challenge that only our county leaders have the ability to resolve,” he said.
The “challenge” Paschall referred to is the removal of the Confederate statue from the lawn of the courthouse.
Parker County Judge Pat Deen said Monday that the statue will be moved as soon as the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the group that owns it, raises money to move it. Weatherford cannot take any action about the statue since it is on Parker County property.
Paschall said he is formally requesting that Deen and county commissioners “publicly approve a date-certain action plan with the Daughters of the Confederacy to have the statue relocated.”
As Paschall made the announcement, many of the meeting attendees broke into applause.
This story was originally published July 28, 2020 at 7:39 PM with the headline "Weatherford mayor asks county to set a date to remove Confederate statue."
