
It was easy to miss while Seattle's Lenin statue what-about-ism raged: Last week, the city of Bellingham first covered, then removed, signs that named a local bridge for a Confederate general.
After Charlottesville, the Bellingham City Council voted last week to put the issue of renaming Pickett Bridge—named for U.S. Army officer, and subsequently Confederate general, George E. Pickett—to a committee's consideration. The city then covered the signs, according to the Bellingham Herald, but those coverings were ripped off. On Friday, the city announced that it would be removing the signs altogether.
In a statement explaining the city's decision, Bellingham mayor Kelli Linville took a zero-tolerance approach towards neo-Nazism and white supremacy, citing recent reports of local businesses that were defaced with swastikas.
"Bellingham does not tolerate hate speech, white supremacy or the neo-Nazi movement," Linville said. "We have heard reports of local businesses being vandalized with swastikas and hate speech. This is unacceptable. We are a city committed to civil rights for all people, and we need to stand up to hate and take steps towards healing our country and our communities."
Still, it looks like the city's removal of the signs will be temporary. In the same statement, the Mayor's Office clarified that the signs will remain down until the Bellingham City Council makes a final decision.