People who were there in support of the monuments coming down were moved behind one set of barricades, while the crowd of protesters who support leaving the Confederate monuments in place was moved behind another set of barricades.
The council voted to remove the monuments in 2015 - part of the national response after nine black parishioners were shot to death by an avowed racist at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, earlier that year. Earlier in the day, Mayor Mitch Landrieu reiterated that he would not discuss the timeline for the statue's removal due to security concerns in the wake of threats that have been leveled at contractors and city employees involved in the job. He wants to question the papers that he says show that City Park and not the city of New Orleans, owns the Beauregard monument.
A statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee is also supposed to be taken down.
That monument honored a rebellion by whites who battled a biracial Reconstruction-era government in New Orleans.
About 50 protesters, some waving Confederate flags, stood directly across Jefferson Davis Parkway from the monument.
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In addition, the judge found the state's administration of its strict voter ID law was unconstitutional. To understand why Kobach's presence on this panel is so alarming, you need to know his background.
Dozens of protesters both supporting the monuments and calling for their removal stayed up overnight to watch the proceedings which happened in early-morning darkness. We should not be afraid to confront and reconcile our past.
On the other side: Supporters of the monuments who argue they honor Southern heritage and history.
The Liberty Place monument was taken down without advance notice in the dead of night by workers in masks and body armor.
Those who want the monuments to remain include the Sons of Confederate Veterans, which has urged its members and supporters to hold vigils at the statues to prevent their removal.
Other backers of keeping the monuments include two Louisiana historic preservation groups and the Monumental Task Committee, a nonprofit that says its volunteers have "taken care of ALL New Orleans monuments for over 25 years".
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