DURHAM -- It was slated to be a long day at the Durham County Courthouse.

Raul Jimenez, Dante Strobino and Peter Gilbert all had their day in court Monday. The three men, along with five other people, were charged with bringing down a confederate statue outside of the old Durham courthouse last August.

“To me it’s a victory because it tells me that tearing down symbols of white supremacy is not a crime,” Jiimenez said. He was found not guilty.

Strobino and Gilbert had their cases dismissed because the judge says video doesn’t clearly show the men

“The court can, must dismiss this case now and not let it go any further than it is because the identification has not been made,” Judge Fred Battaglia said.

Though the three are now clear of the charges, activists continued to rally.

“I feel like the folks that are taking really bold action for all our behalf need people behind them saying we’re with you, we stand with you, we agree with you, we’re not going to leave you alone,” activist Dove Kent said.

They’re still fighting for all the charges to be dropped for the five remaining people.

“It’s a celebration of what just happened today but it’s also a reminder that our work is not done. We must continue to be united and we must continue to fight,” Jiimenez said.

The five other people still need to go in front of the judge for their charges on April 2.

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