Thread by @Local24Brad

Planning to go live at 11:30 on @LocalMemphis on the exhumation of removal of Nathan Bedford Forrest and his wife from Health Sciences Park. One of leaders of #TakeEmDown901 planning news conference later today; we just got sound from Sons of Confederate Veterans leader.

This is a fluid story; more to come throughout day on air and online @LocalMemphis.

.@tamisawyer - who spearheaded #TakeEmDown901 movement - responded to exhumation of Nathan Bedford Forrest: "This is a full circle moment. This statue was built as a monument to the Confederacy and all it stood for including racial violence and slavery. (more)

More from @tamisawyer: "I am proud to be a descendent of slaves and one of the people responsible for ending the Confederacy’s reign of terror on our city. Good riddance."

I haven't been able to log the Sons Of Confederate Veterans sound but my videojournalist who was in on interview said that rep said the moving of the bodies of Nathan Bedford Forrest from Memphis is a good compromise and what the family's descendants wanted.

This is scene right now at base of former statue base of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest in Memphis’ Medical District. I’m live in minutes.

Larger Confederate flags just placed at statue/body removal site. As observation not opinion, some debris is also conspicuously only on the bricks of a mural of clinched fist set up last summer after George Floyd.

Lee Millar - Sons of Confederate Veterans spokesperson - said of the General Forrest/Mary Forrest bodies removal and transfer from Memphis to near Columbia, TN: "Should be someplace where he can be respected, protected and visited without any danger, which is not the case here."

Millar added: "Certainly having a cemetery was a detriment to developing it and then the Forrest family and the Sons of Confederate Veterans likewise wanted it moved someplace else, so it worked out that everyone was in agreement."

Van Turner - president of Memphis Greenspace which oversees park - added: "Hopefully this will be a win-win scenario for everyone, the Forrest family & those remains will have peace & we'll be able to have a park that will be able to be used by all the residents."

Turner added: "I think we did it the legal way, I think we did it the right way, the Sons and the Forrest family have worked with us to get matters resolved in court, which is the correct way of doing things."

Memphis media about to speak with #takeemdown901 founder @tamisawyer; recap from all sides at 5/6 @LocalMemphis.

Happening now at pedestal of former Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest in Memphis.

Wider look at the process....

Another piece is pulled away from pedestal...

More debris drop off.....

Things tense here.

Man yelling profanity @tamisawyer

Volatile moments continue.

Van Turner - a colleague of @tamisawyer - said because Memphis Greenspace owns fence around statue pedestal, asked Sons of Confederate Veterans to take down the Confederate flags.

DEVELOPING: @tamisawyer tells me she has filed a police report this afternoon following that interaction with that man earlier this afternoon.