FILE -In this Sept. 2, 2015 photo, the Robert E. Lee Monument is seen in Lee Circle in New Orleans. On Thursday, Dec. 17, 2015, the City Council is set to vote on an ordinance to remove four monuments. A majority of council members and the mayor support the move, which would be one of the strongest gestures yet by American city to sever ties with Confederate history. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)