After the killing of George Floyd, Richmond became a focus of international attention considering the city was the former Capital of the Confederacy. The expression of centuries of frustration and disappointment culminated in largely peaceful demonstrations and protests. The anger was not only directed at police, it was directed at the symbols of racism and hate lining Richmond's historic thoroughfare Monument Avenue. Statues honoring confederates like Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson, Mathew Fontaine Maury and J.E.B. Stuart were removed. Notably, the giant Lee Monument, as the centerpiece of Monument Avenue, remained and became a center point for debate and division.