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Historical trust says city didn't have right to remove confederate statues

Posted at 7:16 AM, Oct 27, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-27 07:16:23-04

A new chapter in the controversy over Baltimore's Confederate monuments.

Mayor Catherine Pugh ordered the monuments to be removed after the violent protest in Charlottesville, Virginia back in August. Now, state officials are saying that the Mayor didn't have the authority to take those statues down.

RELATED: Confederate monuments removed overnight in Baltimore

Even though the city didn't have the right to remove the statues, the Maryland Historical Trust won't order them to put the monuments back up.

Trust Director, Elizabeth Hughes, wrote a letter this week reiterating that city officials legally couldn't take them down. She says the best way forward is to work cooperatively toward a mutual resolution that likely includes relocating the monuments.

RELATED: Baltimore seeks ideas on replacing confederate statues

The city has not released a formal response to removing the monuments, but city officials have said they look forward to working with everyone as this process moves forward.