SALISBURY – The Confederate monument “Fame” at the intersection of West Innes and Church streets was moved Monday night and early Tuesday.

Roads surrounding the monument were closed around 9:30 p.m. with a heavy police presence at intersections surrounding “Fame.”

Greensboro crane and rigging company Guy M. Turner arrived with equipment shortly after streets were closed to begin work. Plans are to move the statue to a site in a historic cemetery on Lee Street that houses graves of Confederate soldiers. Until a base is ready, the statue will be moved to an undisclosed location for storage.

The United Daughters of the Confederacy, which owns the statue and received an easement to piece of property it sits on, agreed to a plan to move the statue. The city is paying for the move and the Historic Salisbury Foundation is overseeing privately raised funds for improvements to the cemetery.

The statue has been a political flashpoint for decades, but events during recent Black Lives Matter protests pushed City Council to declare the statue a public safety issue. In one instance, a Kernersville man fired shots into the air during a peaceful protest. In another, police used tear gas and riot gear to disperse protesters.

By 1 a.m. Tuesday, crews had removed all parts of the monument and had placed it on a flatbed trailer.