HOUSTON (AP) — Hundreds of individuals, some armed, gathered at a Houston park to protest what they believe are efforts to remove a statue of Texas hero Sam Houston because he owned slaves.
There hasn’t been any organized effort to remove Houston’s statue, which has stood near a city park since 1925.
Protesters, some who carried Confederate flags, said Saturday they’re concerned local activists have been calling for the statue’s removal.
But it’s not clear any such removal efforts have been formally proposed in the wake of other cities around the country taking down Confederate monuments.
While Houston — who was the Republic of Texas’ first president — owned slaves, he also refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy.
