Confederate statue being removed in North Carolina city

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — A construction crew was preparing to take down a Confederate statue in a North Carolina city Tuesday morning, a rare move in a state where such monuments are largely protected by law.

Two cranes were set up on either side of the statue in Winston-Salem and traffic was blocked on a main downtown thoroughfare.

At one point, a worker on a cherry picker was raised up to the top of the statue and appeared to be looking at how to attach a chain or harness.

"Work has started and hopefully it will be removed by end of the day," City Manager Lee Garrity said in an email.

Several onlookers were out, and temporary concrete barriers were blocking traffic in several directions.