Destruction of Confederate statue by protesters may result in criminal charges

Protesters who destroyed a Confederate statue in Durham, N.C., on Monday could face criminal charges including vandalism, police said Tuesday.

ABC News reported that Durham police say that they are using video posted on social media to identify and possibly pursue criminal charges against those involved.

Viral video shows protesters surrounding the statue while chanting “No KKK! No fascist USA!” as several protesters use a rope to pull down the statue of an anonymous Confederate soldier.

In a statement, Durham County Sheriff Mike Andrews said Monday afternoon’s protest clearly went to far.

“I am grateful the events that unfolded Monday evening did not result in serious injury or the loss of life, but the planned demonstration should serve as a sobering example of the price we all pay when civil disobedience is no longer civil,” Andrews told ABC.

{mosads}He added that he will not ignore the “criminal conduct” of the protesters.

“As the sheriff, I am not blind to the offensive conduct of some demonstrators nor will I ignore their criminal conduct,” the statement said.

“With the help of video captured at the scene, my investigators are working to identify those responsible for the removal and vandalism of the statue,” Andrews said.

One organizer of the protest, Loan Tran, spoke to a local news station after the rally Monday.

“It needs to be removed,” Tran told the news station Monday. “These Confederate statues in Durham, in North Carolina, all across the country.”

The statue has stood in front of the now-retired Durham city courthouse since 1924. It depicts a nameless Confederate soldier and is dedicated “in memory of the boys who wore gray.”