The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee that formerly stood in Charlottesville, Virginia, was melted down on Saturday.

Details: The melting marks an end to a years-long dispute that culminated with the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, where a group of people described by the Washington Post (Lean Left bias) as “white nationalists” and by Fox News (Right bias) as “far-right White supremacist sympathizers” staged a rally protesting the removal of the statue. A counter-protester, Heather Heyer, was killed after being struck by a car driven by James Alex Fields Jr., whom The Daily Dot (Lean Left bias) described as a “neo-Nazi.” The Washington Post reported that the material from the melted statue will be used to create a “new piece of public artwork to be displayed in Charlottesville.”

Key Quote: Jalane Schmidt, a University of Virginia religious studies professor and co-leader of the Swords Into Plowshares project, told the Washington Post that they are “taking the moral risk associated with melting it down in the hope of creating something new.”

How the Media Covered It: The melting was covered mildly across the spectrum. The Washington Post, which sent a reporter to witness the melting, stated the secrecy was due to “participants’ fears of violence.” The BizPac Review (Right bias) reported the secrecy was due to “fear of backlash over destroying the historic monument.” The BizPac Review stated the melting “prompted much criticism from those who fear the consequences of ignoring and erasing history.” Update 10/29/23 5:56 p.m. ET: Previous version incorrectly said Charlottesville, North Carolina, instead of Charlottesville, Virginia.