Alabama appeals Confederate monument ruling

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama asked a judge Friday to halt a decision that struck down a state law protecting Confederate monuments as the state appeals the ruling.

In a motion, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said a stay would prevent Birmingham, and perhaps other cities, from removing Confederate monuments while the state appeals the decision.

A judge last week ruled a 2017 state law barring the removal or alteration of historical monuments violates the free speech rights of local communities. The ruling came after the state sued Birmingham for erecting a wooden box that obscured the view of a Confederate monument in a city park.

Marshall said the state is appealing and he believes the law will be upheld.