Macon man says confederate monument downtown should remain in place

A Macon man is calling for the confederate monument in downtown Macon to remain in place.

41nbc news at 6:00.

I'm shelby coates.

Tucker sargent will join us shortly.

Our top story tonight at 6... it is a one-man protest... to keep a confederate monument in downtown macon.

It's the same statue where others stood... expressing the need to remove it.

41nbc's rashaad vann has more.

Ll: as protests continue, one macon man is making his opinion heard about why the confederate statue should not be removed.

Harris: we live in this state and city, the way i look at it as, if you don't like what the state and city and the south-east were grown on, then don't live here, you know what i mean, activists and local artists came together to build an art installation around the statue to display african american history and call for the removal.

But according to anthony harris, the statue is macon's history and should not come down.

Harris: if you're going to complain about these statues then go somewhere where they don't have them.

Some people were unhappy about what harris was doing, and say it's a racist act.

Nat: jermaine salter is one of the few people who stopped to express his feelings on why he disagrees with harris.

Salter: i seen he had a shirt that said justice for june bug and was saying at the same time, don't remove the statue, ok, i said if he knows june bugg or care anything about june bugg, he either has to make a decision, on what side of the bridge he is on.

Brandon tolle brought his kids to the monument to educate them on the history and how it affects others today.

Tolle: we know the history of the monument and how it wasn't originally here, but it was brought here for a purpose, and i think it's time to examine what those purposes are and we're prayerful that our local leaders will come up with solutions, that we honor what people understand.

Although many disagree with him, harris says the statue represents the foundation of the country and the improvements of america.

Harris: it's the symbol of the foundation of a country, its baby steps we've taken, and huge leaps we've taken to improve as c1 3 b13 a country.

Reporting in macon, rashaad vann, 41 nbc news.

Mayor robert reichert