Mobile, Alabama Removes Confederate Statue Without Warning

MOBILE, Ala. (The Birmingham News) — The city of Mobile, Alabama removed a Confederate statue early Friday, without making any public announcements about it beforehand.

The bronze figure of Admiral Raphael Semmes had become a flashpoint for protest in the city. George Talbot, a spokesman for the city, confirmed the removal of the statue.

The removal of the 120-year-old figure follows days of protests in Alabama and across the nation over killings by police of African Americans.

Semmes was a Confederate commerce raider, sinking Union-allied ships during the Civil War.