as a Confederate monument was removed from Georgia Square in Decatur.

The 30-foot obelisk was removed after DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Clarence Seeliger called the structure called a public nuisance and ordered that it be taken down and put in storage.

The point of the removal is not to prevent its public display but “instead is an appropriate measure to abate a public nuisance and protect the obelisk,” he added.

“The Confederate obelisk has become an increasingly frequent target of graffiti and vandalism, a figurative lightning rod for friction among citizens, and a potential catastrophe that could happen at any time if individuals attempt to forcibly remove or destroy it,” Seeliger told CNN.

In Georgia, and nationwide, people have protested against racism and police brutality.