Virginia judge rules Confederate war monuments must remain

A Virginia state judge has ruled the city of Charlottesville cannot move two Civil War statues that were at the center of the riots in 2017.

After Judge Richard Moore issued his ruling Wednesday, plaintiffs that argued in defense of the statues are requesting $604,000 to cover attorney fees, plus $500 for each plaintiff.

The Charlottesville City Council voted unanimously in 2017 to move the statues after a Unite The Right rally for white supremacists led to riots and clashes between protest groups, in which one person was killed.

Moore issued a permanent injunction against moving the statues of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson after several war monument groups filed a lawsuit to stop the city council decision.