WILMINGTON, N.C. – The city of Wilmington has temporarily removed two confederate statues.

In a release, officials say the decision was in accordance with the law and to protect the public safety and to preserve important historical artifacts.

 The two monuments are the Confederate Memorial in the 3rd Street median at Dock Street and the George Davis Statue in the Market Street median at 3rd Street.

The statues have been taken to an undisclosed location.

In a release the city said, “While members of the community have expressed a desire to see these monuments moved for many years, recent protests and controversy over these monuments has grown to a point that the monuments, in their original locations, were a threat to public safety. A state of emergency (separate and distinct from the COVID-19 state of emergency) has been in effect in the city for several weeks in response to the protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. In light of growing controversy around the monuments, a curfew on pedestrian activity in the vicinity of these two monuments has been in place since Saturday, June 20. This underscores the need to temporarily move these monuments in accordance with NC law, which requires state approval for any monument of remembrance to be permanently moved but allows an exception for temporary removal in the interest of public safety.”

It is unclear if any future efforts will be exerted to make the removal permanent.