Albert Pike was a Confederate soldier and leader of the Freemasons, who is rumoured to have had links to the Ku Klux Klan.
A statue of a Confederate general has been torn down and set on fire by protesters in Washington DC.
The monument to Albert Pike was toppled on Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, which marks the end of slavery in America.Demonstrators wrapped ropes around the 11ft statue to pull it down from its granite pedestal in Judiciary Square, before dousing it in lighter fluid. It was also sprayed with red paint before cheering demonstrators watched it burn, chanting:"No justice, no peace!" and"No racist police!"
Videos posted on social media show officers from the nearby Metropolitan Police Department headquarters arriving at the scene and carrying out a peaceful intervention.They used fire extinguishers to put out the fire but avoided clashing with protesters. Their approach quickly prompted a critical tweet from Donald Trump.
The president criticised DC mayor Muriel Bowse, writing:"The DC police are not doing their job as they watched a statue be ripped down and burn. These people should be immediately arrested. A disgrace to our Country!"
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