This post has been updated.
Louisville crews were working Thursday morning to remove the statue of King Louis XVI from the corner of Jefferson and 6th streets downtown.
The condition of the statue has deteriorated since protests over racial justice began in late May, according to Mayor Greg Fischer.
“What we want to do is to make sure the statue has safety related issues with it, we wanted to make remove it and at some point in time it will be cleaned and we can see where we can re-site it,” Fischer said.
The statue lost a hand on the first night of protests and has since been covered in protest graffiti.
In announcing the statues removal Thursday morning, officials said they were concerned any further destruction could cause potential injury to any people who may be in the area.
The statue is heading to a city storage facility, and its future will ultimately be determined after a conservation assessment.
