Unlawful and dangerous: UNC chancellor on 'Silent Sam' toppling

More than 200 protesters first gathered at the Peace and Justice Plaza at about 7 p.m., before marching to the base of the statue, calling for its removal. By 9:30 p.m., the statue was on the ground and the crowd erupted in cheers.

Chancellor Folt released a statement about the toppling.

"Silent Sam" had been standing on the UNC campus since 1913.

Gov. Roy Cooper issued a statement Monday night, saying that he "understands that many people are frustrated by the pace of change and he shares their frustration, but violent destruction of public property has no place in our communities."

On Tuesday, other North Carolina leaders issued statements.

"Many of the wounds of racial injustice that still exist in our state and country were created by violent mobs and I can say with certainty that violent mobs won’t heal those wounds. Only a civil society that adheres to the rule of law can heal these wounds and politicians – from the Governor down to the local District Attorney – must start that process by ending the deceitful mischaracterization of violent riots as ‘rallies’ and reestablishing the rule of law in each of our state’s cities and counties," said North Carolina Senate Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham.

“There is no place for the destruction of property on our college campuses or in any North Carolina community; the perpetrators should be arrested and prosecuted by public safety officials to make clear that mob rule and acts of violence will not be tolerated in our state,” State House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, said.

Protesters on Monday night first sectioned off the area around the controversial statue with large banners, blocking it from view. Throughout the course of the evening, people in the crowd speculated about what might be going on behind the banners, but no one confessed to knowing the plan.

People chanted "stand up, fight back" and "hey, hey, ho, ho, this racist statue has got to go." Many also held signs.

Chelsea Manning, the former U.S. soldier who disclosed 750,000 government documents to Wikileaks, was also in attendance.

WRAL's Candace Sweat said she saw a rope that was connected to something behind the banners, and that she heard a creak before the statue came down.

At one point, there were tense moments between protesters and police officers. Protesters deployed smoke canisters.

One person was arrested and charged with resisting arrest and for concealing one's face during a public rally.

Around 9 p.m., protesters left the base of "Silent Sam" and marched to Franklin Street, where they formed a large circle in the street, briefly blocking the intersection of Franklin and Columbia.

The march continued down Franklin Street and ended back at the base of "Silent Sam." Soon after, the Confederate statue came crashing down.

Once it was on the ground, protesters were shoveling dirt on top of it and stomping on it.

UNC issued a statement Monday night, calling the actions of the protesters "dangerous."

"Tonight’s actions were dangerous, and we are very fortunate that no one was injured. We are investigating the vandalism and assessing the full extent of the damage," the university said in a statement.

Police surrounded the statue once it was on the ground, but they made no further arrests. Overnight, university officials carried the toppled statue away.

As a precaution, authorities were patrolling the area around the Confederate statue on the State Capitol grounds in Raleigh.

Historical background of Confederate monuments removed from State Capitol grounds

"I'm supporting all the students here today," he said. "As someone who was tried and found not guilty of taking down a statue in Durham, I am here to support them in taking down this statue."

First-year students Nora Dickson and Gretchen Mackie said the scene was tense and emotional.

A biology professor at UNC-Chapel Hill said she came out to the protest after she put her kids to bed.

"...all people deserve to be treated with dignity," she said.